


Superstar

by mmmm1na



Category: Bill & Ted (Movies)
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Comeplay, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Happy Ending, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Masturbation, Slow Burn, ted has a garden and bill is gonna have chickens and theyre in love okay, thats right fellas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:54:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 58,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29613210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmmm1na/pseuds/mmmm1na
Summary: After the world ends, Bill and Ted survive, together.
Relationships: Ted "Theodore" Logan/Bill S. Preston Esq.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, been a while, huh! I've been working on this bad boy for a couple weeks now, and I'm really excited to share it with everyone! I love apocalypse stories, especially zombie ones, and I tried my best to be true to Bill and Ted while still exploring this genre that I'm a big fan of. Please enjoy!
> 
> Shout out to Bee, Fox, and Shel for cheering me on and being my wall to bounce my ideas off of. <3
> 
> Any CWs will be posted at the notes at the end of each chapter. This story has a happy ending and no major character death, but if you have any sort of gore/illness/medical triggers please read the notes before starting a new chapter!

The world as they know it ends, surprisingly, on a Thursday.

The news starts reporting on violence in the city center, and Ted is at the mall at work when he starts to hear murmurings of it, the way the volume of voices ebbs and flows in strange ways, the clustering of people around the electronics store where the TVs are. His manager comes by the booth looking pale and says that they’re closing, that they all need to start to clean up. Ted blinks dumbly before starting to clean; his coworker asks what the matter is, but their manager just says that there’s rioting in the city center, and that there’s been a lockdown placed on the city that’s going into effect in an hour. 

Ted feels a twisting in his stomach as he works as fast as he can, wishing he could call Bill, just to make sure he knows he’s okay. Once they shut everything up, the mall is almost empty except for the workers quickly closing things down; there are a couple of stores still open, but Ted can’t do anything but rush out to the bus, hoping he didn’t miss the last one.

He waits and waits, watching people drive by or other workers getting picked up, but no bus comes, even though he knows one should have by now. He wrings his hands anxiously, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and checks his pockets to see if he has any quarters to use in the payphone on the corner, which is fruitless; they just did laundry yesterday.

He’s just about to go back inside to see if he can find a phone to use to try to call someone to get him when the van rolls up to the curb, Bill waving at him. Ted breathes a sigh of relief, tugging the door open, and piles in. His hands are shaking.

“Bill, what’s going on?” Ted asks, and his voice is shaking too, just a tiny bit.

“Something, I dunno.” Bill sounds unnerved, fearful in a way that Ted’s never heard him sound like before. “There’s something happening in L.A… Rioting… it's crazy, dude.”

“Do you think it’ll spread all the way out here?” Ted asks, as Bill peels away from the curb. Ted twists his hands in his sweater to try to get some of the nervous energy out, looking at the way Bill’s brow is furrowed.

“The national guard was called, the babe on the news said,” Bill responds quietly. “I had to turn it off and come get you, after that. They said that all public transit had been shut down, so I… I needed to get you.”

Bill’s voice is shaking a little now, too, and Ted takes a deep breath and lets it out. “Thanks, dude.”

Bill nods, and the two of them sit in silence. Ted’s caught by the lack of music, so unlike Bill, and thinks about how Bill always sits for a moment when he gets in the car, picking a tape to play before getting started on his drive. He must have… He must have rushed, to have not put on music, Ted realizes, and feels a wash of unfettered affection warring with his anxiety.

They take the backroads on the way home, Bill mentioning something about the news saying the freeways were clogged with people trying to leave the city. Ted wraps his arms around himself for a moment, squeezing his biceps, and takes another deep breath. _It’ll be okay_ , Ted thinks to himself. _Bill is with me, nothing can go wrong if we’re together._

When they arrive home at their apartment complex, they find apartment doors slamming with people rushing out to their cars, or curtains open on disheveled living rooms and bedrooms, inhabitants already gone. They climb the stairs to their own apartment, and Bill lays his arm across Ted’s chest quickly to keep him from being bowled over by their neighbor rushing down the stairs, carrying a bag of what looks like clothes. Ted puts his hand over Bill’s arm and holds on tight. 

“Where’re you going, Mrs. Gilbert?” Bill calls after her, but she either doesn’t hear or ignores him, practically running to her car. The two of them share a look before climbing the rest of the steps, and Bill doesn’t say anything when Ted doesn’t let go of his arm.

“Bill, maybe we should… also leave,” Ted says. “If everyone else is leaving, you know?”

“Let’s see what the news says,” Bill responds, gesturing to their TV. Ted goes over to flop on the couch, crossing his arms tight across his body, and doesn’t say anything when Bill sits a little closer than normal.

The news doesn’t have much new to say. There’s a replay of a statement from the governor about the calling of the National Guard, a reiteration of the suggested plan of action being to shelter in place, helicopter shots of the highways and interstate leaving the city, even as far as leaving the state, clogged with cars. Ted grounds himself with the feeling of Bill’s arm pressed against his, watching the same clips and news anchors going over the same things, until finally his stomach rumbles loudly.

“We should probably go to the store and get stuff, if we have to shelter in place, huh?” Ted suggests, and Bill nods, nudging his shoulder into Ted’s.

“An excellent idea, my friend,” he says with a small smile, and Ted grabs a bag of chips on their way out to snack on until they have something to make dinner with.

Bill walks back over towards the van, veering off in a different direction to Ted, who was planning on them just walking to the circle-K. Ted gestures with his chips, crinkling as he points to the gate. “Oh, we’re not gonna just walk?”

“We drove by the circle-K earlier, dude, don’t you remember? They already closed,” Bill replies, and Ted swallows before changing direction.

The grocery store is a nightmare- it seems like the entirety of San Dimas had the same idea as them, but they do their best. Their cart is piled high with things they normally would never grab, having picked up items they saw others grabbing, but also a reasonable amount of soda and snacks, ready for the long haul. They don’t really have enough money to make such a large grocery purchase, but they pool the last of their cash together and hope that it’s the only trip they’ll have to make for a while, pushing coins and crumpled dollars at the harried cashier when they finally get through the line.

The parking lot is even more of a nightmare when they leave, and they have to skirt around a fight breaking out a couple cars away from them, people yelling and fighting over a bag of food. Bill shoves Ted into the van with hands on his hips, following closely after him before sliding the door shut, and the two of them sit surrounded by their plastic bags for a moment, breathing loud in the silence of their van.

“ _Dude_ ,” Ted says, and Bill nods, squeezing Ted’s arm.

“Let’s get home, dude,” Bill replies, and they crawl into the front seats.

It’s getting dark when they finally make it home, and they both load up with bags on both of their arms before climbing the steps to their apartment. The complex is quiet, even more apartments empty than before, but there’s a light here and there, showing that they’re not alone yet.

Once in their apartment, they draw the curtains, something they never really do, and turn the news back on after they've made dinner. It’s even worse now, warnings of gruesome imagery before showing the arrival of the National Guard, shaky footage of people running or injured, blurred footage of-

“Are they showing dead bodies on the news, dude?” Ted asks, voice high, and Bill swallows so hard that Ted can hear his throat click. Ted's stomach turns, his food seeming less appetizing all of a sudden.

“Let’s see what else is showing,” Bill says, and flicks the channels. They get caught on another station, a preacher yelling about the end times coming, the resurrection, sinners and hell, and the two of them glance at each other, unable to keep from laughing a little, before flicking the channel again. 

Finally, they cycle through everything, ending back up on the news, and Bill shuts it off before standing.

“I gotta call Missy, dude, and my Dad,” Bill says, sounding anxious. “She should also know where Johanna and Elizabeth are.”

“My dad is probably still at the station,” Ted says, swallowing thickly. “You call first, I don’t know- I don’t think I’ll be able to get him on the phone, dude.”

Bill manages to get through to Missy, and they have a quick conversation- she’s with the babes, who had been staying with her on their winter break so they didn’t have to go back to England in the middle of their exchange year, and they’re all about to head up north to the vacation home of the dude she’s dating. She rattles off the address to Bill as he scribbles it into his notebook, and tells them to come too, once the freeways get less clogged. Bill tells Ted all this once he’s hung up, looking a little white, but dials his father’s number next.

Mr. Preston doesn’t answer, not the first time, or the next two times. Eventually, Bill hangs up, and hands the phone over to Ted.

“You can call again, dude, I don’t mind,” Ted says softly, and Bill shakes his head.

“Call Deacon, dude, and your dad,” He responds tightly. “I’ll call again after.”

Ted gets Deacon at home, sounding scared but determined in that way he gets, and tells Ted he’s driving to a friend’s house for the shelter in place orders. Captain Logan is essentially going to be living at the police station, so Ted agrees with his little brother that being with people is the right choice. He almost offers to have Deacon come be with him, but he knows if Deacon wanted that, he would have asked Ted himself. 

“Love you, dude,” Ted says softly, twisting the phone cord around his hand so tightly it makes his skin turn white.

“You too,” Deacon says, and hangs up, leaving Ted to hang up the phone and pass it back to Bill.

Bill doesn’t get through to his dad the rest of the evening, or the next day. It’s strangely quiet outside, no cars or sounds from the neighbors, and the two of them wake and eat breakfast with a nervous feeling they can’t shake. They end up jamming out for a while, but even that they do unplugged, not wanting to disturb the strange stillness that has settled over everything.

“We should probably check the news, huh?” Bill finally says after a while, and Ted nods, even as his hands grip at his guitar.

The news is nightmarish- the two of them watch with bated breath as the newscaster, harried and sweaty looking, reports on the attacks that are spreading in a wave outwards from the city center. They don’t specify what exactly is happening, but the undercurrent is that it’s _most_ heinous. The television has stopped showing the violence from before, only reiterating the stay at home orders and giving maddeningly little information, no matter what channel they flip to. Eventually, they turn it back off, and lay back on the couch in silence.

“I’m-” Ted chokes, clutching even tighter at his guitar. “Bill-”

“Me too, dude,” Bill replies, and reaches out to grip Ted’s wrist. “Me too.”

\---

They spend a lot of their time the next couple of days just loafing around, listening quietly to music or playing guitar, watching the tapes they got out from the video store last week. It feels strange, to be doing normal activities when something big is happening, something beyond their control, but they can’t really do much but wait.

Bill’s dad finally reaches him, calling from a family member’s phone, line cutting in and out. He had been across the city when the rioting started, so instead of going home, he had gone to Bill’s aunt’s house instead. They were alright, but since they were in New Mexico, there was really no chance of Bill seeing his family any time soon. Despite this, Bill breathes such a heavy sigh of relief once he gets off the phone that even Ted feels a bit lighter, even though his own father hasn’t contacted him yet.

The news gets less and less informative, the short bursts they watch it in not telling them much. They’ve had to switch over to national news stations, their local news having gone off the air, and sometimes Bill turns on the radio when they can’t get anything on the TV. There’s something scary about that, the idea that there's no one in the local broadcasting station, but the national news is even worse.

It seems as if there’s strange rioting and mass ripples of violence all across the country, starting in the big cities and moving outward, like a wave. The president’s already gone on TV, instituting a nationwide shelter in place order, but the news still shows people outside, yelling into the camera about their rights, waving their guns and talking about how they can’t be limited like this. 

There have been times Ted’s been confined at home, due to illness or bad weather, but never like this. He finds himself restless and itchy at the lack of movement, so he and Bill try to do pushups and jumping jacks in their living rooms, remembering the basic fitness stuff they always hated to do in high school.

“Dude, this _blows,_ ” Bill groans, flopping face down on the carpet, and Ted giggles as he flops next to him, rolling onto his back.

“I feel a little better though,” Ted replies, panting, and reaches out to hold onto Bill’s wrist as the sound of an ambulance goes by a couple streets over.

\---

They run out of food in four days.

It turns out that their shopping cart had more snacks than actual food, the two of them realize as they look into their fridge sadly. Ted sighs and pulls out their last can of beans from the cabinet, pulling down a pot to heat them up, and Bill leans against the counter next to the stove with a huff. 

“Guess we gotta go back to the store, huh,” Bill says, disgruntled, and Ted nods. He leans next to Bill while he waits, and nudges his friend with his shoulder.

“Maybe they have some magazines with recipes, dude,” Ted giggles, and Bill nudges him back. “We can try to make something other than beans.”

“I miss take out, dude,” Bill groans, head tilting back to thump against the cabinet. “Lo-mien, dude. Egg rolls… sweet and sour _chicken_.”

“ _Stop_ , dude,” Ted whines, but can’t help but laugh. “We can get some spaghetti this time. Those are noodles.”

“But they’re not _noodles_ ,” Bill whines back, but he grins up at Ted, all sleepy eyes and pink cheeks.

After eating, they pile into their van and drive to the store. They have to wheel open the gate to their complex themselves, the motor seeming to have broken, but with the two of them pulling they get it open and then shut again with reasonable ease. Ted doesn’t know particularly what makes them close the gate behind them, but the two of them silently agree to do it, wincing as it groans on it’s track.

It’s impossible to get the news on the TV anymore, so they listen to the radio on the way over. It’s frightening, to hear reports of violence and mass hysteria, rioting and looting, waves and waves of people leaving the cities for the suburbs and country. Bill’s knuckles are white on the steering wheel, and eventually Ted reaches over to switch off the stereo with a shaking hand.

“Do you think we’ll be okay, at the store?” Ted’s voice is so quiet, but Bill still jumps, eyes fixed on the road needlessly. There’s no other cars.

“Yeah, dude, why wouldn’t we be,” Bill says, a little laugh in his voice.

The store is closed, windows dark and inside gloomy. The two of them look at each other, and then around at the empty parking lot, before driving carefully up to the front doors, leaving the van right at the curb. The front doors are shattered, gaping holes of glass, and what they can see of the inside indicates that this store has already been a victim of the looting they had heard about on the news.

“Dude, what if we get in trouble,” Ted says, and Bill looks at the doors with a furrowed brow before glancing at Ted.

“We just gotta be fast, dude,” Bill says softly. “We need food, and- well, we weren’t the first ones to steal. No one’s around, so we just gotta get in and out.”

Ted nods and swallows, and watches as Bill crawls between the seats to grab a mic stand they had left in the back of the van when they had unloaded from their last show. It’s not too hefty, but it’s heavy metal, and Ted feels a little safer as the two of them pile out of the van and head into the store.

The glass crunches strangely under their sneakers, and Ted goes over to grab some plastic bags from the check out for them to carry through the store. The back of the place is gloomy and dark, the emergency lights hardly doing what they’re supposed to, and the sound of their breathing seems deafening in Ted’s ears as they start down the first aisle.

“Let’s split up, dude, so we can get out of here faster,” Ted whispers, and passes off some of the bags to Bill. “Just grab anything, we’ll figure it out once we get home.”

“I’ll make sure to grab some magazines, too,” Bill whispers back, nudging into Ted’s shoulder with a grin, and Ted laughs softly before wiggling his fingers against Bill’s. “Shout if you need me, dude.”

Ted nods, and they veer off towards opposite ends of the store.

It’s worse without Bill at his side, but Ted walks as quickly as he can through the aisles, grabbing cans and bags and boxes off the shelves to shove in the shopping bags hanging off his wrists. The shelves are practically empty in certain aisles, but he does the best he can, running his bags out to the van before coming back inside.

“Bill?” He whispers, and hears Bill respond quietly before seeing his face pop out from an aisle down the other end of the store. “Almost done?”

“Yeah, dude, just a couple more aisles. You?” Ted nods in response, and they separate again.

The next aisle Ted walks down is darker than the rest, the emergency light completely out. The floor is a wreck, covered in sticky juice and something else crunching under his shoes, dark and a little disgusting. The scent of rot is worse down here, and he almost wants to turn back and write off this aisle, maybe come back down here once Bill is done, but then- he sees something at the end, in the darkness. It seems like a pile of clothes, at first, but once he gets closer, he realizes- it’s a body.

He stands still, shoes sticking on the floor, and feels like he’s going to be sick, a cold shiver running through his whole body at the realization. He shakes in place and tries to wrap his arms around himself, plastic bag rustling on his wrist, when the body… it _moves_.

“Oh!” Ted exclaims, and rushes forward. If it’s someone who needs help, he can’t just stand by; he was so worried that it had been a dead body, left here to rot by some looters, and hopes that he can help, kneeling on the dirty floor as he puts a hand on the person’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

The person groans, and slowly reaches out to grab Ted’s wrist. He hears Bill call his name softly from somewhere in the store, and is about to call out, when the person lunges forward and bites down hard on Ted’s arm.

Ted screams, both in shock and the sudden pain, trying to yank his arm away. The person is strong, too strong, and Ted finally gets a good look at their face, still biting hard on his skin through the sleeve of his hoodie. They look wrong, eyes white and cloudy, face sunken in and bruised looking. It’s horrifying, the way Ted can feel their teeth sinking into his arm still, and he sobs out Bill’s name, yelling in terror.

“Ted?” Bill yells, footsteps pounding as he races down the aisles to find where his friend is, and Ted yells again, pushing at the face of the person and trying to pry their fingers off his wrist. 

“ _Bill,_ ” Ted sobs again, falling back onto his butt, feet slipping on the sticky mess of the floor, and the person finally lets go of his arm, mouth yawning and black with rot, teeth too white against their face. Ted cries out, trying to kick them away, and then Bill is there, swinging his mic stand against their back, knocking them flat to the floor.

Ted’s finally able to pry the person’s grip off his wrist and he skids back on his butt, feet slipping, and Bill hits the person again. They keep getting up, groaning and crawling forward towards Ted, grabbing at his ankle, and Ted yells again when he gets yanked forward, kicking at the person’s face with all his strength. It doesn’t seem to do anything, and when he sees that mouth open again, he cries Bill’s name again, terrified.

Bill swings again, and this time the metal rod slams into the person’s head, black blood spraying across Ted’s already disgusting pants. Ted’s gasping, clutching at the bite on his arm, and when the person groans again, reaching towards him, Bill swings again and again until the body isn’t moving anymore.

Ted’s breath is so shaky he feels lightheaded, surrounded by the smell of rot and the pain of the bite surging through him, clutching tight at the wound as his fingers get wet with blood. Bill crouches down next to him, trying to pull him to his feet, and Ted sobs, letting go of the bite to clutch at Bill’s arm.

“Ted, _Ted,_ are you alright?” Bill asks, voice tight with fear, and Ted shakes his head.

“He bit me, dude,” Ted gasps, chest tight, and Bill hoists him to his feet, the two of them slipping on the floor. “Dude- he-”

“Breathe,” Bill says, putting his hand on Ted’s neck and squeezing, knocking their foreheads together. “Breathe, dude, c’mon.”

Ted closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, and then another. “My arm, Bill, it’s-”

“Let me see, c’mon, let's go to the front where the light is,” Bill says, and they walk quickly down the aisle, Bill guiding and supporting Ted with a steady hand on his hip.

“What was- what-” Ted stammers out, and finds Bill’s eyes just as wide as his when he turns to look at him. “That dude, he- he didn’t-”

“I dunno, Ted,” Bill says, and leads him towards the door. “He’s dead now though, dude.”

“I think he was already dead, Bill,” Ted replies, and holds his arm out to Bill, wincing as he carefully rolls up Ted’s sleeve. “Like a- like a _zombie_ , dude.”

“Maybe,” Bill says, and winces when he sees the bite on Ted’s arm, oozing blood. Ted looks away, the sight making him woozy, and Bill catches him as he sways on his feet. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

“Go get some first aid stuff, dude, we have nothing at home,” Ted says, shaky, and leans against the metal doorframe as he presses tightly over the wound again. Bill hesitates, hands steady on Ted’s arms, and Ted tilts his chin towards the aisles again. “I’m fine, dude, just hurry.”

Bill nods, brow set, and grabs another plastic bag as he jogs towards the correct aisle. Ted takes a deep breath and smells the rot from the aisle, gagging as he looks down at the mess of his pants, and carefully climbs out through the broken glass of the doors into the sun. The world seems scarier now, even as the sun shines brightly on the empty parking lot, and he makes his way clear of the glass before stripping down, peeling the disgusting clothing away from his body and tossing it away from him. There’s no way he's getting in the van with all that stuff on him, even if it means he’ll be cold on the way home.

He’s standing in his just sneakers and briefs, tying his shirt around the bite on his arm, when he hears Bill’s frantic voice from inside the store, calling his name. “I’m out here, Bill!”

Bill pokes his head out the door, two bags rattling with pills and who knows what on his wrists, and he rushes over, tugging off his flannel to pass to Ted without question. “Dude, don’t- you scared me, dude.”

“Sorry, I-” Ted swallows thickly, feeling like the smell is still lingering in his nose, on his skin. “My clothes, I had- there was stuff all over them, dude.”

“It’s okay,” Bill says, and throws the bags in the back of the van, pushing Ted lightly to sit down. “We gotta clean that bite, it looks- Let’s just go home.”

The drive home is silent, and Ted tries to focus on the way that the streets go by outside to distract from the throbbing of his arm. He thinks about that time when he was a kid and the neighbor got bit by a dog, the way the bite had gotten super infected. It’s like he can feel it traveling through him, and thinks about the way that the thing that bit him had already looked dead, the gaping blackness of it’s rotten mouth-

“Dude, breathe,” Bill says, and reaches across the space between their seats. “We’re almost home, Ted, don’t worry.”

Ted nods and takes Bill’s hand, squeezing as tight as he can, even though it makes his arm throb harder.

They don’t have to worry about anyone looking weirdly at Ted when they get home and have to push the gate open and closed, no one around to see him only in a flannel and sneakers, but Ted still feels chilled and a bit sweaty when they finally get in their apartment and lock the door. They both breathe a sigh of relief at being home before Bill ushers Ted into the bathroom, shutting the toilet lid for him to sit on before digging through the bag of stuff he grabbed at the store.

“We gotta disinfect it, dude,” Bill says, looking at Ted with a furrow in his brow. “It’s gonna hurt _most_ heinously.”

“Bogus,” Ted says weakly, and lays his arm over the sink, rolling up Bill’s flannel and biting his lip as Bill unties the shirt from around the wound. It’s angry and red, still oozing blood, and Ted looks away as he gets another wave of hot and cold through him, pressing his forehead to the cold porcelain of the sink.

“Whoa,” Bill breathes, voice shaking, but when Ted rolls his head to look at him, Bill looks determined, pulling out a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and uncapping it, before settling a tube of antibiotic ointment and a roll of gauze next to it. “Dude, you can hold on to my hip, okay? I need both hands.”

Ted nods, shivering, and gags a little as he smells the rotting smell again. “I gotta shower, too, dude.”

“Yeah,” Bill agrees, and leans over to turn on the bath tap. “After I’m done, dude, then you can take a bath. So you don’t get the bandage wet, you know?”

Ted nods, and feels Bill place a hand on his shoulder, warm and comforting as he squeezes for just a moment. Ted’s arm is throbbing, but he just focuses on the way his toes are cold on the tile, how sure Bill’s hands are as they move Ted’s arm. Ted reaches out and puts his hand on Bill’s hip, feeling how warm he is through his t-shirt, and pushes a finger through the belt loop of his jeans.

“Bite my shirt, dude,” Bill says, and Ted opens his mouth so Bill can push the collar of the flannel between his teeth, shivering over and over. “Okay, Ted.”

The first rush of the hydrogen peroxide over his arm feels so cold he doesn’t register the pain, but then it’s too bright and agonizing to ignore. Ted can’t help but yell, the sound leaping out of him without his permission, and he shivers at the way he can hear the hissing of the peroxide, and then the smell- He focuses on breathing, shaking like a leaf, and moans in pain, biting down hard on the fabric in his mouth. He feels like his arm is on fire, but he just squeezes tightly at Bill’s hip and tries not to pass out, feeling so woozy from the smell and the pain. It’s over soon, but he just lays there, head on the cool porcelain, as he feels Bill dab on ointment and wrap his arm.

“Hey, Ted, good job dude,” Bill says quietly, getting down on his knees in front of Ted. “You did it, it’s over.”

Ted can’t make himself move, let alone spit out the flannel in his mouth, so Bill works it free from between his teeth gently, wiping off some spit with his thumb. The tender gesture combined with how awful Ted feels, the pain still radiating up his arm, makes tears come to his eyes and spill over, quivering with cold and fear.

“Hey, hey, dude, it’s okay.” Bill pulls him down onto his shoulder, and Ted clings to the back of Bill’s shirt as he cries. “Let’s get you in the tub, Ted, you’ll feel better when you’re warm and clean.”

Ted nods, but the two of them stay there for just a moment, Bill petting up and down over his back, his palms warm and wide. Finally, Ted lifts his head and wipes his face, and Bill helps him pull off the flannel, holding him steady as he steps out of his underwear and climbs into the tub, making sure he doesn’t fall.

It takes so much extra work to wash himself with one arm out of commission, and it’s made worse by the adrenaline crash, shaking as he rubs a washcloth over himself. Bill helps, cleaning his back efficiently as he can, holding Ted's hand so he remembers not to put it in the water, and soon Ted feels much better, smelling of soap and antiseptic instead of dead, rotten things. Bill washes around his bandage as well as he can, towel at the ready, and then helps him back out of the tub, sitting Ted down on the toilet while he dries off so he doesn't have to worry about falling over.

"I don't feel good, dude," Ted says softly, and Bill takes over rubbing the towel down his legs.

"That's okay, all you have to do now is chill out," Bill replies, but Ted can tell he's worried. "I'm gonna make you soup, and then we're gonna veg on the couch and watch movies, okay?"

"The Great Muppet Caper again?" Ted jokes weakly, and Bill laughs as he goes into the bedroom to grab Ted clothes, leaving the door of the bathroom open. 

"We should have stopped at the video store, too, dude," Bill replies, and comes back with one of his big flannels, a pair of briefs and some sweats. "Okay, lean on me."

They finally get settled on the couch and Bill makes him soup like he said he would, albeit out of a can, and Ted ends up falling asleep, completely crashing out after their eventful day. Bill makes him take some pain medication before he drifts off, but his arm is still throbbing painfully and he feels uncomfortable under the blankets, sweaty and shivery in equal turns. He wakes a couple of times, just enough for Bill to put a hand on his forehead, or squeeze his fingers, and Ted always falls right back asleep, his feet in Bill's lap.

When he wakes next, the living room is dark, and there's something in there with him.

He lays paralyzed, like the blankets on him weigh a hundred pounds, unable to move even an inch. There's a shuddering groan from the kitchen, dark with the blinds all drawn, and when his eyes finally adjust, he sees it.

He can't tell what it is, but then it moves a little, and groans, and it's that _thing,_ from the store. It's crawling towards him, pulling it's oozing body across the carpet, and Ted feels every muscle in his body cry out as he tries to move. It gets closer, and closer, black mouth opening up, shiny white teeth stained with blood, and-

"Ted! Ted, it's okay, wake up," Bill's saying, shaking him, as Ted jolts awake with a shout. He shivers for a moment before tears start to leak out of the corners of his eyes, wetting his hair; Bill is hovering over him, looking at him with a worried expression as he kneels next to the couch, hand on Ted's forehead.

" _Bill_ ," Ted moans, face twisting as he sobs, and Bill looks so upset before he gathers him close in a hug.

"It's okay, I'm sorry, I thought you'd be more comfortable if I didn't-" Bill stammers, cupping the back of Ted's head. "I'm sorry, dude, I'm sorry, you're okay."

"I don't feel good," Ted cries, so soft, shaking in Bill's arms.

"I know, Ted, I'm sorry," Bill replies, and holds Ted tighter. "You have a fever, dude. I'm gonna get you some tylenol, and then- I won't leave you alone again, don't worry."

Ted nods, pulling his blanket back up to his chin, and takes the pills dutifully with the water Bill brings him. Bill sits back against the couch, shoving a pillow behind his back, and flips the TV on low. Ted watches the way the light makes Bill's curls look white, changing colors on the line of his profile, and finally drifts to sleep.

\---

Ted has a fever for days, but no one picks up when Bill calls the hospital to ask what to do.

He’s in and out, feverish delusions making him cry and shake with fear, and Bill does his best to take care of him, making him eat and drink as best he can. Finally, when the fever breaks, Ted wakes in the early hours of the morning to find Bill asleep on the floor next to the couch, snoring softly into his pile of blankets. Ted reaches down, brushing a hand over Bill’s curls, and thinks about how much he loves his best friend.

He drifts in and out until Bill wakes, and the two of them do a tiny air guitar once he takes Ted’s temperature and they have the confirmation to what Ted already knew- he was out of the weeds. They still relax, Ted listening to music quietly as Bill does their little exercise routine, restless and cooped up from days of taking care of Ted, and by evening, Ted can get up on his own steam. He still needs help climbing into the bath, though, and Bill sits on the toilet lid as Ted relaxes back, leaning his head on the tile as he lets the heat sink into his weak body. 

“We need to get out of here, Ted,” Bill says softly, and when Ted really looks at him, he sees how tired he looks, dark circles under his eyes. “There’s no more television, dude, just static. Only one or two radio stations are still playing. The power flickered yesterday... we should go find Missy.”

Ted nods, and Bill sighs heavily before getting on his knees on the bathmat to redress Ted’s arm. The bite is pink and red with scabs, but looks like it’s healing. The skin still feels tender as Bill gently pokes at it, rubbing ointment on the worst parts, and re-wraps it so carefully.

“I guess it’s not zombies after all,” Ted jokes softly, and Bill raises a questioning eyebrow at him. “I didn’t turn from the bite, dude.”

“You were-” Bill’s mouth twists, and he presses the back of Ted’s hand against his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut and slumping forward. “You were so sick, dude. I thought- I thought you were gonna-”

“I’m sorry,” Ted replies quickly, hoisting himself forward shakily to wrap his free arm around Bill’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, Bill.”

Bill shakes his head and squeezes Ted’s hand tightly, but after a moment finally leans into his arms, pressing his face into Ted’s neck.

\---

It’s a whole day affair, loading up the van as well as they can and saying goodbye to the things they have to leave behind. They don’t really have a lot of sentimental attachment to most of their stuff, though they do have a lot of it, but it’s most agonizing to leave behind their record collection. They both compromise and bring along the essentials, the sacred texts of their music library, and spend the day recording a bunch of the others onto some blank cassettes they had laying around, so as not to lose them forever. They narrow it down to a single milk crate, not even bringing a record player, and hope that Missy’s house has one.

“This is _most_ non- _non_ -heinous, dude,” Bill sighs, running his hand delicately across their collection. “I can’t believe we have to leave these behind.”

“Maybe we can come back for them, one day,” Ted suggests, though he feels the same sadness at leaving behind their carefully curated collection. “Let’s put them all in the closet, just in case someone breaks in, dude.”

“A most excellent idea, Ted, my friend,” Bill grins at him, and Ted is just happy to see his friend looking less tired.

Next, they haul one of their mattresses down to put in the back of the van, not realizing until they get it down there how little room it leaves them for other stuff, even after they take out their jerry-rigged milk crates and pillows bench seat that they had set up along the wall. They throw a whole bunch of blankets and pillows on top of it, an extra set of sheets, and they pack two duffle bags jammed with their clothes. There’s a box of comics that gets shoved behind the driver's seat, topped with the crate of records, and all of their bags of food slide in next, filling the space between the front seats and the bed. A boombox and their rattling box of cassettes fill the last of the cramped space.

The final spot, the narrow slot between the bed and the wall of the van, is left for their most important possessions- their guitars.

They can’t leave their beloved axes behind, both packed carefully into their hard cases and slid in to fit snug between the metal wall and the edge of the mattress, though they have to leave all but one of their smallest amps behind. They also bring their single acoustic, the one that lived beside Bill’s bed in it’s own hard case, and say a sad goodbye to their other guitars, lovingly packed away and put in the closet, beside their records.

The van seems jam packed once they're done, even though their apartment looks untouched. There’s so many little pieces of them that they’re leaving behind, Ted thinks sadly as he looks at their plastered walls and comfy furniture. He carefully starts to peel some of his favorite pictures down, grabbing his favorites of him and Bill from over the years, and then finally helps Bill take down their stallions blanket to pin in the van, hopefully making it a bit warmer if they have to sleep in there. It also looks _most_ excellent, so they can’t leave it behind.

Ted tucks all of the photos he grabbed into the glove compartment, though he saves one of him and Bill from high school in his vest pocket, and Bill puts a little dinosaur on the dash, angling it thoughtfully. Ted remembers getting it for Bill with his tickets at the arcade last month.

“Seems like ages ago,” Ted says softly, and Bill just nods, getting what Ted’s talking about without asking, like always.

\---

They leave the day the radio stops playing music.

The backroads are empty, and they only see a hint of life, just once. They can’t tell if the figure is alive or dead, though, so they keep driving, afraid to stop even to check. With the rioting and looting, they’re still worried about encountering people who would try to hurt them, or take their van and food. There’s a baseball bat laying on the floor by Ted’s feet, now, knocking against the door whenever Bill takes a turn a little too hard.

Ted’s in charge of the map, though Bill has to pull over sometimes to double check their route, if Ted’s unsure. The town names are hard to read, sometimes, the way they’re all so tiny and jumbled together, but Bill leans in and traces his finger over the road they’re traveling and Ted tries to remember. Bill’s been so smart about this whole thing, so proactive, taking care of Ted and keeping him safe- it fills Ted with a warm rush of affection, feeling the way Bill’s curls brush his cheek as he sighs over the maps.

It feels a little like a road trip, or going on tour, in a way. They listen to one of their cassettes on low, so Bill doesn’t get distracted from the road, but on long stretches they sing quietly back and forth, and it feels almost normal, for a moment.

They drive all day, taking breaks to stretch their legs on long, abandoned lengths of road, but they still don’t get to Missy’s house by the time it’s dark, since they’ve had to take back roads and drive way out of their way. It makes Ted nervous, to be outside and unprotected, and he breathes in a deep breath to try to stave off his anxiety as they sit in the opened side door, enjoying the cool night air.

They decide to not drive through the night, both because Bill’s exhausted from driving all day and because the headlights would alert people to their presence. They sit next to each other as the sun sets, bumping their elbows and knees together as they eat a cold dinner.

“Guess we’re gonna have to get used to sharing a bed, huh, dude?” Bill asks rhetorically, and Ted shrugs as he nods. 

“It’ll be like when we were kids, dude,” Ted giggles, and Bill nods with a grin, both of them air-guitaring at the idea. The two of them brush their teeth with bottled water passed between them, and shut up the van before crawling onto the tiny twin mattress, stripping down to their t-shirts and underwear before finally pulling the blankets over themselves, settling in with their backs pressed together.

Bill’s body is hot, even through the layers of blankets, and is a comforting presence as the wind moans outside. Ted lays awake nervously for a while, but finally, the sound of Bill’s breathing and the press of his body remind him that with Bill by his side, things aren’t as bad as they could be, and he falls asleep.

\---

Ted wakes in the middle of the night shivering- desperately, unbearably cold.

He groans quietly, feet feeling like ice, nose freezing on his face, and peers out to see if they had kicked off a blanket in the night. It’s almost pitch black in the van, no moon to shed any light, so Ted feels around the base of the mattress to try to find their extra bedding, shivering so hard his teeth chatter.

“Dude, whas goin’ on?” Bill slurs quietly, and Ted makes a little noise in the back of his throat.

“Cold,” He grunts out, finally finding the comforter, shoved in by the door, and tugs it over the two of them again, burrowing under the covers to try to warm up.

“So cold,” Bill says, snuggling in as well, and Ted tries to leech as much heat from where their backs are pressed together, though the layers of blankets between them keep it from being anything more than a tease of comfort.

They both lay there shivering for a while, and Ted finally has made his peace with sacrificing what little body heat he has under the blanket to get up and dig through his duffle for a sweater and socks, when Bill says softly, “Dude, we should share body heat.”

“Huh?” Ted says dumbly, exhausted and freezing, and turns when he feels Bill do the same.

“Y’know, like in Empire, dude, when Han uses the Tauntaun so they don’t freeze,” Bill says, and Ted thinks for a moment before nodding.

“A most excellent idea, my friend,” he says softly, and the two of them shift, gasping and shivering as cold air washes under their blankets, but soon they’re lying side by side, four layers of blankets over the two of them. Ted _already_ feels warmer.

“I can’t sleep on my back, dude, c’mere,” Bill murmurs sleepily, and with a cold hand on Ted’s hip, turns him and tugs him against his chest, spooning up tightly behind him. Ted shivers again, but more so because of the relief of heat that Bill’s body gives him than any cold air in the van, and relaxes into Bill’s arms. 

Bill presses his cold nose against the back of Ted’s neck, so he presses his freezing toes against Bill’s shins in retaliation, laughing softly as Bill jerks his legs back and whines. They wiggle around for a bit but eventually settle, curved together like spoons, finally warm as they drift off to sleep again.

\---

The next day is more of the same, but their fuel meter dips low enough that they need to stop for gas.

Ted feels a twisting in his gut as they roll into the apparently deserted gas station, and hopes that the pumps still work. Once they realize that there seems to be a generator running, providing power to the pumps, Ted meanders over to the little shop while Bill pumps the gas, finding the lights are on, though the doors are locked tight. Ted’s about to give it up as a lost cause, even though he had been absolutely craving some barbecue lays, when he sees the plastic gas canisters lining one of the aisles.

“Dude,” Ted calls, and once Bill jogs over, Ted points it out. “I think they have back up gas in there. We should probably grab it, while we can.”

“Still feels weird to break in places,” Bill murmurs, but cups his hands around his eyes as he presses his face to the glass of the door, peering inside. “But it doesn’t look like anyone hit this place yet, dude. We should grab food, too.”

The sound of the glass shattering as Bill hits it with the baseball bat is startlingly loud, and Ted looks nervously around them at the trees and dark houses across the street, worrying about who, or _what_ , heard the noise. “We should hurry, dude.”

“I’ll grab the gas, you grab the food,” Bill rushes out as he reaches carefully through the glass shards to unlock the door. “Make sure you get like, jerky and stuff too, not just chips.”

Ted nods, and starts quickly down the first aisle as Bill hoists two of the red gas canisters and quickly carries them out to the car. There’s not much in here but snacks, but Ted grabs what he can before rushing out to the car to grab his duffle, dumping the clothes out on the bed haphazardly so he has something to shove food into.

“Good idea, dude,” Bill compliments as they pass each other, and Ted grins at him.

They’re almost done, van now even more packed with stacked red canisters and food strewn about, when they hear the groan. The two of them stop in the door, about to go in one last time for the last of whatever they can grab, and look around. There’s no apparent movement, just the rustling of trees in the breeze, sky blue and cloudless, and then-

They emerge from around the side of the building, three of them, stumbling towards Bill and Ted. They look dead, for all intents and purposes, and Ted feels like he’s going to throw up all of a sudden, thinking of being bitten, dead eyes and rotten flesh no longer in his dreams, but in front of him again.

“Run,” Bill breathes, and shoves Ted’s back when he doesn’t move, frozen in fear. “Run, dude!”

Ted stumbles but runs, Bill’s feet pounding behind him on the concrete, the distance between the store and the van seeming like miles, though it’s only a couple of seconds before they both tumble in through the open side door and slam it shut with a loud _bang!_ They both breathe heavily for a moment before Ted reaches out to grab Bill’s shirt, shaking with fear.

“Zombies, dude,” Ted says, voice reedy with terror, and Bill nods. There’s a sudden thump against the door, and then another, and another, and then-

Moaning. Horrible, bone-chilling moaning, like a death rattle, like something that shouldn’t exist. Bill makes a noise in the back of his throat, and quickly turns his head towards the passengers side window when he sees movement, and Ted follows his gaze.

“We gotta go, dude, they’re gonna-” Bill chokes out, and scrambles up into the driver's seat. “Gotta go before-”

A face, rotted and disgusting, hardly recognizable as a face, shifts into view out the window, and Ted yells, “Go, dude! Drive!”

Bill starts up the van as a hand slaps against the window, and they peel out of the gas station, Ted getting thrown back onto his pile of clothes on the bed. Bill’s hands are white-knuckled on the steering wheel, breathing tight, and they speed through the streets, making their way back out onto deserted road.

Ted slowly rolls to his feet and gingerly climbs forward into the front seat, putting his hand on Bill’s arm, and says, “Slow down, Bill.”

“But-” Bill stammers out, and then takes a deep breath and relaxes a little, easing his foot off the gas. “Sorry, Ted.”

“It’s okay, dude, you got us- you made sure we were safe,” Ted says, and Bill pulls over to the side of the road suddenly, turning off the van and putting his head in his hands.

“Dude, what the fuck.” Bill’s voice is tight, and his breathing is short, curling in on himself a little. “What the _fuck_.”

“Zombies, dude,” Ted replies, and slides to his knees on the floor between the seats, wanting to be close to his friend. “Something bad is happening.”

“Yeah,” Bill chokes out, and takes a deep breath as he peels his hands away from his face, leaning against Ted. “What do we do, Ted?”

Ted gives in, wrapping his arms around Bill’s waist, and Bill immediately hugs him back tightly, resting his head on Ted’s. There’s a specific sort of comfort in being held by Bill, and Ted is glad they’ve fallen into the pattern of giving physical affection, even though they don’t talk about it. “We just have to stick together, dude.”

“Yeah,” Bill breathes, and squeezes Ted tighter.

\---

That night they stop earlier, peering at the book of maps in the dying light, and realize they should reach Missy tomorrow.

“We could be extra safe and go this way,” Bill muses, dragging his finger across the paper, and Ted zones out on the square shape of his fingernail, the veins on the back of his hand. “But it might be safer to just get there sooner. I think she said he was rich- maybe he has a gate, or a high-tech security system.”

“Yeah, a most astute observation,” Ted agrees, and once it’s decided, crawls in the back to try to organize the mess he made earlier before they lose the light entirely. “Come help me, dude?”

It’s comforting, the way the van is even more packed now, gas canisters stacked behind the driver's seat, bags of food everywhere, their duffels spilling clothes. It reminds Ted of their apartment, in both a happy and sad way, and he flops down to the bed with a deep breath once they’ve organized as best they can, the sun almost set.

“C’mon, gotta eat, dude,” Bill says softly, grabbing Ted’s ankle and wiggling it a little, and Ted hoists himself up to dig through their bags.

It’s even colder, tonight, so he and Bill don’t even pretend to try to sleep apart, immediately curling up in each other’s arms once they take off their shoes and jeans and uncomfortable layers. They change into sweats and leave their socks on, just for added warmth, but Ted misses the press of Bill’s thighs against his where he has his knees tucked tight against the back of Ted’s.

It takes a while for Ted to go to sleep, feeling like he’s hearing that horrific moaning noise outside their van, or the thump of heavy bodies. He jolts awake more than once, his half-asleep dreams tricking him into thinking there’s a face outside their window, watching them sleep, and after a couple of times Bill sighs heavily against his neck, petting softly over Ted’s tummy with his palm, hot even through Ted’s shirt.

“Can’t sleep?” He asks, voice rough, and Ted shakes his head, keeping his eyes shut tight.

“They’re out there, dude,” Ted replies, voice small.

“And we’re in here, Ted, and they don’t know it.” Bill’s voice is comforting and steady. “You wanna sleep closer to the wall? So you can’t see the windows?”

Ted swallows before nodding, and Bill hoists himself up onto his forearms before crawling over Ted, trying to stay low enough that they don’t lose too much warm air or displace the blankets. For a brief moment, he’s pressed all along the length of Ted’s front, body so hot and heavy as he catches himself awkwardly, and Ted finds himself, for the first time, wanting more of that, wanting Bill against him in the dark. He takes a shaky breath in, and in the span of that one inhale, Bill’s already gone, rolling off Ted’s body and onto the other side of the mattress with a grunt.

“C’mon, turn over,” Bill breathes, so quiet, and when Ted turns, Bill slots himself against his back again, settling his hand firmly over Ted’s stomach.

\---

They roll up to what they think is the right place the next evening and turn the van off as they look at the gate, wondering if they can even get in.

“We could climb the fence, if we need to, I guess,” Ted suggests, and Bill makes a noise of agreement, though his arms are crossed in thought when Ted looks at him.

“Maybe we can pull the gate open?” Bill asks, and Ted nods, the two of them climb out after peering around the car, double checking that they’re alone.

Turns out the gate does move, albeit slowly and a bit heavily, but the two of them push them open against the resistance of the motor with only a little trouble, making enough room for Bill to slowly drive the van through. Once inside, they shut the gate behind them and hope no one else has had the same idea as them.

“I’m kind of excited to see Missy, and the babes,” Bill says as they slowly drive through the streets, peering at the house numbers. There doesn’t seem to be anyone around at all, a strange stillness settled over the houses. “I hope they’re all okay.”

“Me too,” Ted says softly, and cracks the window slightly, eager for the smell of salt that they had tasted when they had left the car to open the gate. This community is close to the beach, so close Ted feels like he can hear the waves, and hopes that it’s not too dangerous that he can’t go feel the sand between his toes.

They finally reach the house number Missy gave them, though no one seems to be home, the windows dark in the evening gloom, sun shining from the opposite side of the house as it sets. The sound of the waves is audible now, so close, and the air is cool where Ted has the window slightly open.

“Should we go up and knock?” Ted asks, and Bill shrugs as he turns off the van. 

“What if someone else is in there, dude? Or-” Bill cuts himself off, mouth set in a thin line, and doesn’t continue. Neither of them want to voice their fears.

They sit there for a while, the darkness deepening, and Ted feels even more vulnerable here than on the open road, all of these houses with their black, empty windows. Nothing’s moved since they arrived, but he still feels scared, like an itch under his skin.

“They know the van, they have to look out the window at some point,” Ted says softly. “Let’s stay out here until tomorrow, just in case. We can try to look around when it’s morning.”

Bill nods, clenching his hands into fists and releasing, and sighs heavily. They both crawl into the back one by one and eat before laying down in the almost dark, not wanting to risk opening the door and showing signs of life.

Bill is quiet, laying with his arm pillowed under his head, and Ted crawls over to lay beside him on his side, mirroring Bill’s sigh. The night is dark and silent, feeling almost heavy, like something is listening to them. Ted realizes, after a moment of laying there in the almost blackness- there are no animal sounds, no bugs, no human life. It’s as silent as the grave.

“What do we do if they aren’t there, Bill?” Ted asks, so soft, and Bill shifts next to him.

“Shut up, Ted,” Bill says, though Ted knows he doesn’t mean it. “They’re there. They’re just- hiding, or something. The house is really big, maybe they’re in the rooms further from the street.”

“Yeah,” Ted replies softly, and unable to help himself, reaches out to brush his fingers against Bill’s hip. “What do we do if they _are_ there?”

Bill shifts, and Ted feels Bill’s fingers on his own, tracing lightly over the back of his hand. “We’ll figure it out, dude.”

“Okay,” Ted says, so soft, and Bill takes his hand, squeezing tightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW// Graphic description of Ted being bitten, the cleaning of the wound. Ted gets sick after being bitten and experiences panic, nightmares, and hallucinations. Descriptions of zombies (decomposition, blood, gore, etc). General fear and terror.


	2. Chapter 2

When he wakes in the morning, the sun is just rising, and Bill is pressed hot and hard against Ted, snoring softly against his neck.

The van is still a little cool, not as stuffy as it is normally after a long night, and Ted peeks up to see that he forgot to close the window. It’s just a crack, but anxiety twists his stomach, thinking of what could have happened to them in the night because of it.

He lays there, trying to calm his breathing, and focuses on the way Bill’s tucked his hand under Ted’s shirt in the night, the way he fits so perfectly against Ted’s back, knees slotted comfortably, the hot ghost of his breath and the gentle, hot nudge of his cock through their sweats. Ted flushes, breathing in deep through his nose, and tries to not get hard.

It’s just natural- he gets morning wood all the time, and the way they’re pressed together certainly doesn’t help. It’s strange, to think of his best friend in a sexual way, because even though he’s always known Bill to be _most_ handsome, he never even considered it as an option. Bill was just Bill- his best friend, his most constant companion. That was good enough.

Ted dozes, not wanting to rouse Bill too early in case he got cranky, so he’s half awake when Bill starts to move. Bill smacks his lips, nuzzling his nose into the space between Ted’s shoulder and the sheets, and then, like an afterthought, rolls his hips against Ted’s butt.

Ted doesn’t move, slowly waking up out of the syrupy sleepiness that comes from drifting after you’ve woken the first time, and Bill’s hand slips on his stomach, petting down over his happy trail in a way that leaves Ted’s tummy swooping with arousal. His hips push one last time before pulling away, hand slipping from under his shirt and over his hip, leaving Ted feeling cold and a little out of sorts. His cock had perked up in his shorts from feeling Bill move like that against him, a hot body warm and turned on just from being close.

Bill sighs from behind him, and Ted finally shifts, turning onto his back to stretch, pushing his hands against the cool metal wall of the van above their heads. 

“Morning, dude,” Ted sighs out as he points his toes, and Bill grunts into the mattress, on his belly. He looks sleepily at Ted with one eye, the other half of his face in the sheets, and it’s easy for Ted to forget, for a second, everything other than waking up next to him. It feels sweet, like candy melting on his tongue.

There’s a noise from outside, and they both tense all at once, going up onto their hands. Nothing’s moved out the windshield, and Ted peers out the cloudy back windows as well, seeing nothing. It’s only because of the window being open that they heard a noise at all, and their breathing becomes tight as they sit as still as possible, trying not to rock the van or make any noise.

“ _Bill?_ ” A whisper comes from outside, so soft. “ _Ted?_ ”

“Missy,” They both say at once, and clamber up to slide open the side door.

There she is, a little ways away from the van, standing on the lawn in her pink blouse and leggings- but she’s holding a fireplace poker in both hands, ready to swing. Her look of grim determination morphs into something wide eyed and tender when she sees the two of them peering out at her, and they scramble out to catch her in a hug, clinging as she wraps her arms around them. The dew on the grass wets Ted's socks.

“Oh, boys,” Missy says, voice wobbling, and Ted feels tears prick in his eyes to know she’s alright. He feels Bill’s breath hitch where his hand is resting on Bill’s back, and knows he feels the same.

“It's most excellent that you’re okay,” Bill says, voice cracking, and Ted nods, rubbing his cheek on her silky blouse. “We didn’t want to come up to the house, because-”

“No, it's okay,” Missy says quietly, petting over their backs before pulling away to look them both in the eye. “Let’s get you inside, before we start catching up. It’s not safe outside, even with the gates.”

She directs them to pull the van into the second of two garages, a tight fit next to her pink convertible, but they do it. She says that it’s important to make the house look uninhabited, so they don’t get picked by looters, and quickly double checks the front to make sure everything looks undisturbed before leading them through a side gate around to the back of the house.

It’s so weird to see another living person who’s not Bill, Missy lively and feminine and pink as she waves them the right way in silence, smelling faintly of perfume and not boy and sweat, like them. 

Once they’re inside, she pulls them close again, and they stand for a moment, just hugging, before she leads them into a kitchen. It’s dark, the windows pointing west, but Ted finally gets a view out past the back of the house, and the backyard, to the sea.

“ _Whoa_ ,” Ted whispers, and feels Bill look as well, shifting into Ted’s space as he echoes Ted.

“Isn’t it lovely?” Missy says softly, sitting on one of the stools near the island. “We’re hardly ever disturbed here- you could even go out on the beach, if you wanted. In the whole two weeks, we’ve only seen two people out there.”

“Two _weeks_?” Ted says, looking at Bill in shock. “Dude, I was sick for seven _days_?”

Bill looks up at him, brow furrowed, and nods. “Yeah, dude, why’d you think I was so worried?”

“I dunno, because I was... sick, or something,” Ted responds quietly. Seven _days._

“You were sick?” Missy asks, coming over to put her hand on Ted’s forehead. “Do you feel better now? What an awful time to catch something.”

“No, we think it was from that gnarly dude’s bite, Missy,” Bill says, and Ted rolls up his sleeve to show her the red teeth marks. There’s still scabs on the deepest parts, but the rest have fallen off to reveal red, raw looking scars- he’d think it looked pretty metal, if he still wasn’t having nightmares of how he got it.

“Oh, _Ted,_ ” Missy breathes, looking frightened. “You were _bitten_?”

“Yeah,” Ted says softly, and can’t say anymore, the words catching in his throat. Missy, surprisingly, takes a step away from him.

“There was this dude in the grocery store- when Ted got near him he-” Bill tries to explain, the two of them kind of surprised by Missy’s white-faced terror. “He was sick for a week, it was- it was _most_ heinous, Missy.”

“And you took care of him?” She asks, catching herself with a shaky hand on the counter. “You’re not sick?”

“No way, Missy, I’m totally healthy.” Bill holds out his arms to either side, like he’s showing off, and Ted bobs his head in agreement. “He feels okay now though, right, Ted?”

“Right, Bill,” Ted says. He lifts his arm again, looking at the curve of teeth marks, red in the morning light. 

“Oh, boys,” Missy’s voice is shaking, and Bill takes a step forward to put a hand on her shoulder, face twisted in concern. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Ted.”

“Me too,” Ted says softly, and is surprised when she jerks forward to hug him. “Missy, I’m okay, I swear. Bill took care of me _most_ diligently.”

“It’s not that, Ted,” Missy says, voice wobbling as she pulls back, smoothing her hands down his shoulders. “That’s how people turn, Ted- there’s something in the bite.”

“No way,” Bill breathes, and Ted feels frozen, staring at his arm. He feels that strange wash of hot and cold go through him, turning his empty stomach, and suddenly Bill is holding his arm and waist tight, like he was going to fall. “You okay, dude?”

Ted nods, feeling like his tongue is stuck to the roof of his mouth. He quickly tugs the sleeve of his sweater back down over his arm, breathing tight, and when he squeezes his eyes shut he sees that mouth, the shining white of teeth, black and-

“Breathe, Ted,” Bill says, so soft, and slides his hand around to the center of Ted’s back.

“I’m sorry, Ted,” Missy says, and Ted hears her shift, her small hand light on his arm. “I shouldn’t have- I should have been more tactful.”

Ted shakes his head, pressing his cheek to Bill’s curls, and takes a deep breath, and then another. Bill smells a little, they both do, but the scent of him is comforting and grounding, and Ted just breathes until the panic recedes just a bit.

“Why don’t you two go get cleaned up,” Missy suggests gently. “The boiler still works, so there’s hot water, but you have to take a bath instead of a shower to save it. Then we can all have breakfast, okay?”

“Okay,” Bill agrees for the both of them, and she shows the two of them to the bathroom down the hall before taking Bill to the bedroom where they’ll be sleeping.

Ted strips out of his clothes and settles into the couple inches of hot water once it’s drawn. It’s such a relief to be safe and warm, about to clean himself up, that when he slides down so he’s laying on his back in the tub, warm water lapping around his ears, tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He feels exhausted, like he’s been running on empty for days, but the hot water helps to leech some of the tension in his muscles. After his fever broke, he really only had one day to recover before they had been on the road. Not having proper food, or enough of it, had probably delayed his recovery as well, and now that he’s not tense and vigilant the way he had been in the van, he really feels the ache and weakness of his muscles. He sighs heavily, and strangely, _misses_ Bill, even though he knows he’s not very far away. They haven’t been apart since the day he got bitten.

After a moment, he finally sits back up and gets to washing himself, dunking his head into the water as best he can to wash his hair, and soon he feels clean, though the water he’s sitting in is pretty gross. He cracks open the bathroom door once he’s finished to find a stack of new clothes for him, waiting on the floor. That wave of affection washes through him again, warmed by the way Bill always is considering him, thinking of things that Ted needs, taking care of him and making sure he’s alright. It makes his tummy flip in a new and surprising way, and his cheeks get hot as he thinks of the way Bill’s body felt against his in the dark.

He walks down the hall after dressing, peering into each open room until he finally finds Bill in a small bedroom, digging through his duffle of clothes. The slump of his shoulders is tired, and he seems even smaller than usual when his shirt stretches over his back; Ted makes a little noise to announce his presence, and Bill, shockingly, jumps.

“Hey, dude.” A smile cracks across Bill’s face easily, even though he was startled, and he waves a handful of clothes at Ted. “Was your bath okay?”

“ _Most_ excellent, dude,” Ted replies, and goes to sit on the bed, bouncing slightly. It’s a double, larger than what they have in the van. “Are we gonna be sharing?”

“Yeah, Missy said that they want to keep the front rooms empty, just in case,” Bill explains. “And the upstairs, so no one gets stuck, since there’s only one staircase. I guess they saw some stuff happen, back in the beginning.”

“Bogus,” Ted murmurs, and Bill nods, zipping his duffle back up. “Well, I don’t mind sharing, still. It- makes me feel safer, y’know?”

“Me too,” Bill agrees, and then waves his bundle of clothes at Ted. “Time to not smell like B.O., dude.”

“Yeah, you stink,” Ted giggles, and Bill rolls his eyes with a _shut up, Ted_ , before making his way out of the room.

The bedroom is nice, clean and painted blue, and after a moment Ted goes over to the window, peering out through the side of the drawn curtain. He tries not to move it too much, thinking about how Missy said that they want the house to seem uninhabited, but his breath catches when he sees the ocean, right there. There are tall hedges blocking his view of the next yard over, and the lawn does it’s best to pretend it’s not growing on sand, but about a hundred feet out a wooden boardwalk begins, connecting the row of houses, and then there are dunes, and then a long stretch of beach. Ted wishes that he could run out there right now, run all the way to the water, but instead he just carefully cracks their window open, taking a deep breath of the sea air.

Bill finds him sitting by the window when he’s done with his bath, cheek resting on the sill, and comes over to squat next to him, smelling soapy and pink in the face.

“C’mon, dude, let’s go eat something,” Bill murmurs, and takes Ted’s hand to pull him to his feet.

It’s no longer dawn by the time they emerge from their bedroom, and when they get to the kitchen, there’s two familiar figures sitting at the kitchen island with Missy.

“Jo!” Bill cries, as Ted happily says _Liz!_ , and the two women turn with wide eyes and smiles to greet them, slipping out of their seats to rush over and give the two of them tight hugs. It’s such a relief to see them healthy and whole- they’ve been friends since high school, when they had met through the pen pal program, and after the required time had been over they had kept up through the years. Their friendship had been enough for the girls to want to come to California for their year abroad in college, having heard the boys' stories from all their years talking, and had been spending the holidays here as well. Missy and the two sisters had become fast friends as soon as they met, which had led them to stay with her over the holiday break, and now this- stuck in America during this whole mess.

“Oh, Theodore, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Liz says softly, pressing a kiss to Ted’s cheek, and he kisses her back, feeling tender in the wake of her affection.

“Me too,” he replies softly, and hears Jo and Bill exchanging the same sentiments beside them. They soon switch partners, and Jo practically squeezes the life out of Ted, so much so that he giggles into her blonde curls with happiness.

“You’re sure you’re well?” Jo asks Ted, looking up at him, and Ted nods, ducking his head behind his bangs.

“Yeah, Bill took care of me,” Ted answers honestly, and turns to find Bill looking at him with the softest gaze. “He made sure I was okay.”

Bill’s face twists, a warring mix of sadness and tenderness washing across his features, and Ted’s about to reassure him more when someone else enters the kitchen that he doesn’t know. He and Bill turn, arms still around the babes, and the guy raises his eyebrow at them before smiling.

“So, you must be the famous Bill and Ted,” He says, holding out his hand. His teeth are straight and white, his hair is grey at the temples, and combined with his square jaw and blue eyes make him alright to look at. Bill shakes his hand before Ted reaches out to shake as well, and the firmness of his handshake makes Ted think of how his dad used to show him how to shake hands, _not too weak, Ted, you don’t want them to think you’re a pansy._

“This is Danny, boys, my boyfriend,” Missy says with a smile, getting up to stand next to him.

“And are you the boyfriends of these fine ladies?” Danny asks, jokingly. “I have to say, guys, you’ve really lucked out with these two. I’ve had a hard time with all these beautiful women around.”

Bill and Ted glance at each other, surprised by Danny’s rude assumption, and Bill shakes his head before answering, “No way, dude, we’re just friends.”

“Mhmm,” Danny says, winking and tapping the side of his nose, and Ted shifts on his feet, coming to the conclusion that he dislikes the dude. “Well, sweetheart, where’s breakfast?”

Missy’s prepared something small for all of them, the last of the bread, nuts, and a treat of canned fruit. It feels nice, to sit at the table with the group, talking softly, even though Ted feels a little overwhelmed at all the conversation after such a long time of just him and Bill. 

“So, dude, this is your house?” Bill asks, eating a peach slice with his hands. Ted swallows heavily as he watches him suck the juice off his fingers.

“Yes, it’s my summer home,” Danny replies, relaxing back into his chair and throwing his arm around Missy. “Nice, huh?”

“Yeah,” Bill says, and Ted can tell he doesn’t like the dude either. “Is there anyone else around?”

“Not as far as we’re aware,” Jo answers, looking sad. “There were a couple of people when he first arrived, a family or two, but we- we haven’t seen them for a while.”

“The houses nearest to us are empty, at any rate,” Danny continues. “I’ve gone over to grab anything I can, since we didn’t have much food. I’m not much of a cook, so I didn’t have anything in the pantry.”

“You went alone?” Ted asks, and puts his hand over the arm of his sweater, where the bite is. “Isn’t that dangerous, dude?”

“If you’re quiet enough, the things won’t come,” Danny says. “That’s what happened, in the beginning. People were still watching their televisions, playing music, lights on all night. There wasn’t much we could do.”

“We got _lucky_ ,” Liz says, jaw clenched tight. “The only thing that saved us from that group was-”

“Was my quick thinking.” Danny cuts her off firmly. “If we had gone out to help, we would be dead too.”

Liz presses her lips together and sits back, crossing her arms. It feels like they’ve stumbled onto a well-worn argument- Ted looks at her, wanting to reach out and comfort her, but with Jo between them it’s impossible.

“Well,” Ted says, breaking the silence. “Missy said she’s only seen a couple of people on the beach.”

“Yes, the beach is pretty deserted, that’s why we chose to sleep in rooms facing the back of the house,” Missy explains. “Lots of homes along the shore have gates, since the beach was private, and that keeps those things from getting through.”

“We ran into a couple of them,” Bill offers. “At the gas station we stopped at, and- at the grocery store.”

“They are pretty slow, but you can’t stay in one place for long if they know you’re there,” Danny explains. “One caught sight of me while I was out the other day, but I ran around the back of another house before circling around and I lost it. They’re not very smart.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Missy says, sounding upset, and Danny laughs, shaking her a little. 

“It’s okay, baby, I had it under control.”

Ted feels awkward with this dude, the way he keeps talking over people and brushing off their problems reminding him, disturbingly, of his father. Bill is tense where he sits next to him, so Ted looks over and presses his knee against Bill’s thigh, smiling a little when Bill looks at him. Bill rolls his eyes and Ted snickers.

“So you cool dudes were Missy’s step-sons huh?” Danny asks, and laughs. “So you can promise me I won’t have you for competition? She’s a beautiful woman.”

“No way, dude,” Bill says, brow furrowing. “Missy’s like my sister.”

Ted chimes in with a little _Yeah_ , and Danny waves them off. “I was just joking, don’t worry, I know she only has eyes for me.”

Missy smiles and nuzzles up against him, though the little furrow gives away that she’s still a little upset. Ted feels like he’s at dinner with his dad, not knowing what to say to avoid being berated.

“Did you bring your guitars?” Liz asks, and Ted grins, nodding at her. “Oh, wonderful. I miss hearing you play.”

“I used to shred, back in the day,” Danny says. “We should jam.”

“Sure, dude,” Bill says, and presses his leg against Ted’s knee.

“Do you two need help carrying some of your stuff into your room?” Jo asks, and Bill nods, grinning at her. 

“Yeah, that would be excellent.”

“Don’t have too much fun,” Danny winks, and Bill nods as he pushes his chair out, standing.

“Thanks for the advice, dude,” Bill answers, and puts his hand on Ted’s shoulder. “C’mon, Ted.”

The four of them make their way quietly to the connected garage, and once they’re inside, Jo sighs and rolls her eyes. “He’s been really getting on my last nerve.”

“He seems like a dickweed,” Bill says, opening up the side door carefully, so it doesn’t slam. “Has he been that bad the whole time?”

“No, he’s gotten worse the past couple of days,” Liz explains, peering into the open door. “We think he’s bored.”

“And he seems to be jealous of you two,” Jo finishes, laughing as Bill rolls his eyes. “This is very cozy, what you’ve set up in here.”

“We had to leave behind most of our records,” Ted says sadly, and Liz pats his arm in commiseration. “But we brought three guitars, and all our cassettes.”

“I already grabbed our clothes,” Bill says as he crawls in, pushing their blankets back onto the tiny mattress. “But we should probably take in all the food, and maybe our comics. Do you really want us to play for you?”

“Of course,” Jo says, and takes two of the grocery bags Bill passes to her. “It’ll be lovely.”

The four of them make quick work of the load, carrying everything back inside. The sun is high in the sky now, just a peek of sunlight starting to filter in the curtains in their bedroom, and once the girls put the food in the pantry the four of them settle on the bed in Bill and Ted’s room, closing the door.

Ted leans back against the pillows next to Liz, and Jo lays her head on her sister’s thigh, giggling and poking Bill with her toes as he leans back on his hands at the foot of the bed. It’s a tight fit, with the four of them, but it’s worth it to have some uninterrupted time alone, Missy and Danny having disappeared somewhere while they were in the garage.

“I don’t like how that dude was talking about you babes, it was _most_ odious,” Bill grumbles.

“He seems to be quite a womanizer,” Liz sighs, rolling her eyes. “He’s made a couple comments before, but seems quite devoted to Missy, so we haven’t worried too much.”

“Still, it’s not cool,” Bill continues, picking at a hole in his jeans. “He kept interrupting, too. Dickweed.”

“William, we have to stick together, he’s the reason we’re still here,” Jo says, poking Bill again. “He’s always the one to go out and scavenge, and he-”

Jo pauses, a sad look coming over her face, and Liz pets her hair. Ted looks at Bill, raising his eyebrows, and Bill shrugs.

“There was a family when we first arrived, across the street,” Jo says softly. Ted’s stomach twists at her tone. “But the creatures move in packs, sometimes, and one evening, they had the television on loudly. We wanted to help, but Daniel wouldn’t let us leave the house.”

Jo chokes up, putting her hand over her eyes, and Bill puts a hand on her ankle as Liz sighs. “He was right. They were stuck upstairs, when the creatures broke through the door. When they’re together- we figured the sheer number created so much force to break the windows and door, and- That was it.”

“There weren’t any zombies out there when we drove through, though,” Ted says quietly, thinking about the horror of just one of those things; he can’t even imagine a group, let alone enough to push their way into a home.

“Daniel snuck out and drove one of his cars towards the gate, which had been left open, and honked his horn enough that they all started to migrate towards the noise. Once he had enough following him, he drove away and walked back on the beach, and then closed the gate from the inside,” Liz continues. “Missy was worried sick.”

“But he was right,” Jo sighs. “He said that with all of them out there, we were in danger. So he did what he had to do, and in the end, it was correct. We haven’t seen any in here since.”

“We closed the gate behind us, when we drove in,” Bill offers, and then sighs, scratching his eyebrow. “Guess he’s not as much of a dick as he seems.”

“How have you two been, though?” Liz asks, putting her hand on Ted’s arm and shaking him a little, smiling. “Were you stuck in your apartment this whole time?”

“Well,” Ted starts, but then chokes, looking at where Liz’s hand is on his forearm, right where it’s still tender from the bite. “Well, I-”

Bill speaks up when Ted doesn’t continue, moving his hand from Jo’s ankle to Ted’s. “Ted got sick, so I had to- I took care of him.”

“Oh no, Theodore, did you have the flu?” Liz asks worriedly, putting her hand on Ted’s forehead just like Missy, making him smile.

“No, I-” Ted swallows, and gently knocks Liz’s hand away to roll up his sleeve. “I was bitten.”

The sisters gasp, Jo sitting up quickly, and they both stare at him in silence, shocked, fearful looks on their faces. Bill’s hand on his ankle is the only thing that keeps Ted from flying apart.

“Oh, Theodore,” Liz says, taking Ted’s hand and pulling a little, just so she can get a closer look. “And you’re alright?”

“Seems like it,” Ted says softly. “I was really sick, though.”

“We don’t know much about it, but Daniel has some connections, and he found out that the bite is what turns people,” Jo explains.

“That’s what Missy said,” Bill agrees.

“Mostly, though, we’ve just seen-” Jo swallows, looking at Ted’s arm. “Well, most people don’t come back from the bite. There’s not much left.”

Ted’s stomach flips, and he tugs his hand gently out of Liz’s, pulling his sleeve back down. He thinks, suddenly, of if he had turned- Bill stuck with him in their tiny apartment until he either had to kill Ted or be killed. He shuts his eyes tight, breathing unsteady, and feels Bill shift near his feet, weight disappearing and then reappearing next to Ted on the mattress.

“You’re fine, dude,” Bill says, so soft, and Ted leans his head against Bill’s shoulder.

“I could’ve killed you, dude,” Ted says, so soft, and Liz makes a comforting noise from his other side, laying her cheek on his shoulder. “ _Bill_ , I-”

“You didn’t,” Bill replies firmly. “You’re fine. You’re better.”

“But-”

“ _Don’t_ , dude.” Bill’s voice breaks, and Ted feels a soft touch on his neck, Bill’s fingers gently petting through his hair.

The four of them sit there for a couple of minutes, silently reveling in each other’s company, and finally Ted takes a deep breath and sits up, smiling weakly at the babes. “Music time?”

The day passes strangely with no set goal, and Ted feels tired by the time the sun starts to set, peering out the curtain at the buttery yellow of the sunlight on the ocean. Bill’s rustling behind him, getting ready for bed, and Ted wonders if he feels that same sort of tiredness, finally caught up with them now that they’re not on the road.

“I can’t believe we used to stay up ‘till midnight,” Ted says as they climb into bed, wiggling as he snuggles into the sheets. He already feels so much warmer than in the van, even though the heat in the house isn’t running.

“Yeah,” Bill says through a yawn, and Ted giggles. Bill lays back, rubbing his hands over his face roughly before smiling at Ted; the sleepy curve of his mouth makes Ted’s tummy flip.

They don’t spoon together like they did in the van, the double bed leaving enough space for both of them to lay separate, and that combined with the warmth of being indoors makes it wholly unnecessary. Even with all that- Ted finds he misses the comforting warmth of Bill’s body, even without his weird feelings, just wanting to feel the beat of his heart and the affectionate touch of his hand.

They lay there until the sun finally sinks over the horizon, their room darkening until Ted can’t see anything at all, and he finally drifts off to sleep, listening to the sound of Bill’s breath.

\---

He wakes up with a jolt, groggy and disoriented, and wonders where Bill is.

It takes him a second before he remembers that they’re in Missy’s house, and a bigger bed, and he finally hears Bill’s breathing next to him, soft snores breaking through the darkness. Ted lays still, heart racing, and wonders what woke him, when-

Moaning, so soft, from outside their window.

Ted feels like there’s ice in his veins, rushing through him and freezing him to the core. He can’t tell how close the noise is, with the faint sound of the sea, but it’s there. The curtain rustles slightly, only the vaguest shapes visible to Ted’s eyes in the new moon light, and he suddenly realizes he left their window open earlier.

He forces himself to move, reaching out across the gap to touch Bill, gripping his hip.

“H’wha?” Bill snorts, and Ted shushes him. The next time Bill speaks, it’s a whisper. “Ted?”

“There’s- Bill-” Ted gasps out, so quiet, and Bill rolls carefully onto his other side so he’s facing Ted, sliding his hand up Ted's arm under the blanket. He scoots close, chest pressed against the whole length of Ted’s side- he can feel how hard Bill’s heart is beating.

“What is it?” Bill breathes, and Ted takes a shaky breath.

“I can hear- there’s something outside,” Ted whispers back. “I heard it.”

They lay in silence for a moment, listening intently, and after a moment hear it again. It seems quiet, but Ted still can’t shake the fear. Sound is weird sometimes, they both know that.

“We’re in here, Ted,” Bill says into Ted’s ear, and wraps his arm around Ted’s chest. “And it’s out there. It doesn’t know we’re here.”

“What if it does?” Ted says, shivering, and Bill just squeezes him tighter. “I left- I left the window open.”

“Zombies don’t know how to use windows, dude,” Bill whispers, and nudges Ted’s hip. “C’mon, turn on your side.”

Ted does it, wincing at the sound of the sheets and the creak of the mattress, so loud in his ears. Once he’s turned, Bill slots up against his back like he would in the van, the warm press of his body truly comforting.

“I’m scared, Bill,” Ted whispers into the darkness, clutching Bill’s hand where it’s pressed against his chest over his shirt. 

“Me too,” Bill responds, rubbing his nose against Ted’s neck. “But we’re safe, Ted.”

“Okay,” Ted breathes, and eventually falls back asleep.

\---

For the next handful of days, it’s back to life as normal- or as normal as it can be. The group spends a lot of time reading, listening to Bill and Ted play music, or playing board games salvaged from nearby houses. It takes all of Ted’s might to not cheer and yell when he wins, but he gets the energy out by shaking his hands and wiggling, Bill bumping into him with a grin.

Every night, Bill curls up against Ted, wrapping an arm around him. They don’t talk about it, just like in the van, but Ted’s finding he can only sleep with Bill up against him, a warm, comforting weight.

Ted finally feels like he’s unwinding again. It’s like when they were in their apartment; outside their home, there’s some heinous stuff going on, but inside? He feels safe, surrounded by the people he loves, walls and a roof over his head, locked doors and windows between him and Bill and whatever is out there. 

One morning, Ted wakes up feeling hotter than normal, slipping out of his dream and into waking like sliding through syrup, squeezing his thighs together and making a tiny noise. He can’t remember his dream, not in clear images, but his cock is half hard and insistent in his briefs, and he can’t help but reach down to squeeze himself, pressing his face into the pillow.

Bill makes a noise from behind him, just a little snoring thing, and Ted freezes, finally waking up fully. It’s so comfortable in their bed, the length of Bill’s body pressed against Ted’s back, but he can’t jerk off in bed with Bill, no _way_. 

He lays there for a couple more minutes, seeing if he can get his dick to go down, but it’s insistent, the hot spread of arousal still curling through him and making him twitch. He finally sighs, palming over himself again, and slips from Bill’s arms to go to the bathroom. The room is chilly, but he feels the itch now, the need to jerk off, so he quietly leaves the bedroom in just his shirt and underwear, padding down the hall quickly so he’s not caught.

It’s such a relief to get a hand on himself once he has the door closed behind him, and he slides down the wall to sit on the bathmat, tugging his briefs down under his butt to pull his cock out. He’s still half-hard, persistent even after leaving the warmth of his shared bed, and after he spits in his hand he quickly gets himself to full hardness in just a couple of tugs, sighing and leaning his head back against the tile.

He hasn’t gotten off in weeks, not since before he got sick, jerking himself quickly in the shower while he and Bill were housebound. He already feels a little desperate, even the tug of his hand intense after so long, and he slips his other hand down to cup his balls, tugging and rolling them in his fingers. He curls his toes into the bathmat, sighing again, and closes his eyes to focus on the feeling of his hands, the rub of his fingers over the head of his cock, pulling his foreskin down to pet over himself.

He wonders what would have happened if he had touched himself in bed, with Bill still tucked up behind him, the heat of his body comforting and teasing all at once. Ted bites his lip as he thinks of the way Bill’s cock felt, chubbed up against his butt the last night they slept in the van, and imagines the way it would feel if Bill had slipped his hand down and over the soft cotton of Ted’s underwear, tucking his fingers under his balls and rubbing him over and over until he came.

His breath is coming in short pants now as he really jerks himself, hips twitching, and thinks about Bill coming in here right now, crawling between Ted’s legs to kiss him, replacing Ted’s hand with his own, the soft brush of his breath against Ted’s neck, and then Ted’s coming, making small, whining noises in the back of his throat as he tries to keep quiet. He shivers, cock twitching as he rubs his thumb under the head before sighing and untensing, and wonders.

Eventually, he gets too cold to sit in the bathroom any longer, so he gets up and uses the toilet before washing his hands off, shivering as he pads back to the bedroom. Bill’s rolled into the warm spot Ted left, but only murmurs sleepily when Ted slides back in, wrapping around his back and nudging his nose to Ted’s neck.

“Good?” Bill slurs, and Ted nods, wiggling back into Bill’s embrace.

“Bathroom,” He replies softly, and Bill makes a tiny noise in return before starting to snore again, comforting and lovely.

\---

With such a large group, they end up running out of food quickly, even with Danny’s scavenging, and one morning a handful of days after Bill and Ted have arrived, they’re faced with the dilemma of having to eat the last of their food for breakfast.

“We need to go back out today,” Danny says. Ted watches the way Missy’s mouth tightens, worry written across the lines of her face. “I’ll head out after breakfast. There’s some houses about a mile down the beach I still haven’t hit.”

“Danny, it’s not safe for you to go alone,” Missy argues, taking his hand. “Every time you go out I worry you won't come back.”

“I can handle myself,” Danny says, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Don’t worry.”

“I’ll go with you,” Bill offers. Ted feels a stab of fear go through his gut. “Missy’s right. It’s like in a horror movie, dude. You should never go off alone.”

“I can come too,” Ted pipes up, even as his skin crawls with the idea of going outside, facing one of those things. 

“No, Ted, you should stay with the girls,” Danny says, thoughtful. “For protection, you know.”

Ted hears Liz huff softly from where she’s sitting next to him, and he has to duck his head, smiling at her apparent disagreement with the idea that she should have to be protected at all.

“Let’s head out now, Bill, before the rain starts,” Danny says, gesturing to the cloudy horizon before rising to his feet and making his way out of the kitchen. 

“Let me grab my bat from the van,” Bill says softly, and when he rises from his chair, he squeezes Ted’s shoulder. Ted feels a strange feeling rising in him, like a yell- every fiber of his being crying out at the idea of Bill going off somewhere without him, somewhere dangerous, where Ted couldn’t protect him if he tried.

Missy seems to feel the same way, putting her head in her hands as she rests her elbows on the table, and Jo circles around the small island to wrap an arm around her shoulder. 

“I hate this,” Missy says in a wobbly voice. “I wish this had never happened.”

Ted can’t help but fervently agree.

\---

The four of them do their best to distract themselves while Bill and Danny are gone, pulling out one of the board games. It’s difficult, the worry and fear looming over them in a way that isn’t as present when all of them are together and safe in the house, even with the horror outside.

"Worried?" Missy asks him after the third time they've had to get his attention, snapping him out of his middle-distance staring. He can't stop thinking, for once, and his belly keeps twisting uncomfortably, jigging his leg under the table.

"Yeah," Ted says softly, playing with one of his little pieces, rolling it between his fingers. "We've… I've never been apart from Bill since I got bitten."

"Oh Ted," Missy sighs, sympathetic, and he turns his hand over when she takes it in her own, squeezing. "It'll be okay. They're both strong and smart. If anything, they can just run home."

Ted nods, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat, and they go back to the game for a couple of minutes. It’s such a strange feeling, to want to turn to Bill to show him something, or crack a joke- they’ve been apart before, of course, but it seems like with the last couple of weeks his tolerance for being apart from his best friend has lowered significantly.

They continue playing, Liz nudging into Ted occasionally and tossing pieces at him between turns, and eventually Ted smiles again, laughing and flicking the pieces back at her.

“So, Theodore,” Liz begins, and Ted can already tell he won’t like what she’s about to say by her tone, let alone the sly look he catches when he looks at her. “You and William have seemed quite comfortable.”

Ted tilts his head, brow furrowing in confusion, and shrugs. “Yeah, I guess?”

“More than usual, is what she means,” Jo pipes up, raising an eyebrow. “Sharing a bed, and all.”

“You’re sharing a bed too,” Ted stammers out, cheeks getting hot. “And we have to, because, y’know.”

“I’m sure we could have figured out something so you could have your own space,” Missy says, and Ted feels cornered, face burning. 

“No, we don’t mind,” Ted replies, ducking his head as he picks at the hem of his sweater. “It feels better, having someone there, you know?”

“And we’ve noticed the way you touch more now,” Jo says, more apparent with her teasing. “You used to hardly even hug.”

“It just started happening,” Ted explains, twisting his fingers together. “We don’t really talk about it... we just do it.”

“So there’s nothing else?” Liz asks, and Ted feels his belly twist with butterflies as he catches on to what they’re implying. 

“Heightened emotions, and all that,” Missy chimes in, like that explains everything. Ted shakes his head, bangs in his face.

“No,” He says softly, and then sighs. “No, nothing like that.”

“Oh,” Liz says, and then after a pause, puts her hand on Ted’s, where his fingers are twisted into knots. “But would you like there to be?”

Ted shrugs again, mouth twisting. He doesn’t _know_ what he wants. He doesn’t know how things would change, if he and Bill were to start dating. He doesn’t even know what _dating_ means anymore, in this new world. He doesn’t know if Bill even _wants_ him like that.

He explains all of this to them softly, the words tumbling out in the wake of their love and acceptance, and Liz slides up next to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He pushes his face into her shirt, seeking the warm comfort of her embrace. It feels nice to be held, but he has a sudden realization- it doesn’t feel the same as when he’s wrapped in Bill’s arms.

“He cares very deeply for you, Theodore,” Liz tells him, and Missy and Jo chime in with their agreement. “We can all see it. That’s why we thought- well, it doesn’t matter.”

“He’s my best friend,” Ted says in a small voice, like that explains everything. “He’s _Bill_.”

“I know,” Liz says, squeezing him one last time before letting him go. “I’m sorry, Theodore. I shouldn’t have pried.”

Ted mumbles out a little _it’s okay_ , before they go back to playing their game. Liz’s words keep bouncing around in his head, thinking of the way Bill’s been treating him since he was bitten. He _has_ been _most_ attentive to Ted, taking care of him and comforting him… was Liz right?

“D’you really think…” Ted starts before the words stick in his mouth, unable to even speak them.

Liz nudges into his side, and Ted can hear the smile on her lips when she speaks. “Maybe, Theodore.”

Ted puts his hands over his face, grin spreading wide under his palms, and he can’t help it- he does a little wiggle.

\---

It begins to rain while Bill and Danny are out, and Ted sits by the window with it cracked open, listening to the sea and the soft pattering of the drops... and also for any yells, or signs of distress. 

It’s probably not good for his nerves, belly twisting the whole time, but it means that as soon as Bill and Danny come into view on the boardwalk, bags looking heavy and clothes waterlogged, Ted springs to his feet and opens the door, helping relieve them of their load once they’re inside.

“What a nightmare,” Danny says, once the door is locked and the reinforcing chair is back in place. Missy rushes forward, petting over his cheeks and his hair, and when he presses a kiss to her lips, Ted looks at Bill. He’s shivering from the cold, pink ears and cheeks and mouth, and Ted suddenly, desperately, wants to kiss him too.

“Okay?” Ted asks, and Bill nods, darting a glance at Danny before letting Ted tug his backpack off his shoulders, catching on the wet arms of his jacket. 

“Just need a warm bath, dude,” Bill says softly, and Ted nods, pulling him down the hall. 

Liz and Jo emerge from their room when they hear the commotion and meet them on the way, Liz petting Bill's wet hair, Jo cupping his cheeks, and Ted feels a weird, strange stab of jealousy that they can touch him like that and he can’t. Bill’s fingers are cold in his, and Ted comforts himself with being able to hold Bill’s hand, something he couldn’t have even done a month ago.

He sits on the toilet as Bill undresses for the bath, falling into that old pattern of comfort that they always had with one another, but looks at his hands when Bill gets to his boxers, flushing. _That’s_ new, but he just tries to ignore it, and doesn’t ogle Bill as he climbs into the tub, water low but steaming hot.

“God, dude,” Bill sighs, and scoots down with a squeak to lay on his back, wrapping his arms over his chest as he shivers. His nipples, when Ted glances at them, are pink and peaked. “That was heavy.”

“What happened?” Ted asks softly, playing with the strings on his hoodie. Bill closes his eyes.

“We got through about four houses before the rain started, and I wanted to go back, so the boxes we grabbed didn’t get soaked," Bill starts, voice quiet in the echoey room. "But Danny wanted to keep going and check the next house, since it was the end of the line and we weren't going to come all the way back just for one house."

Ted makes a little noise, but when Bill doesn't continue, Ted slides to his knees on the bath mat. Bill sits up slowly, rubbing his hands over his face, and continues even softer. "There were a couple of zombies in the house, dude. Most obvious, too. We didn't need to go in- or even open the door, but Danny said that we had to kill them."

"Why?" Ted asks, leaning close, and Bill shrugs.

"Said that it wasn't safe to leave them, so close to our house."

"But-" Ted starts, cutting himself off when voices pass by their door, Danny and Missy talking as they make their way to the master bedroom. Bill and Ted sit quietly even after they pass, before suddenly, Bill leans into Ted to knock their heads together gently. They rest there for a moment, just breathing, before Bill pulls back.

"Doesn't matter, dude," Bill says, lifting his hands over his head to wet his hair. "We got a lot of food."

"That's good," Ted replies, but when Bill lets his hands rest on the back of his neck, curling in on himself and hanging his head, Ted reaches over and takes Bill’s hand in his own, squeezing hard. Bill squeezes back and sighs before asking Ted to pass him the soap.

\---

The mood in the house is somber, that evening, even though Ted and the babes try to pick their game back up after dinner, with Danny and Bill watching. It's hard to have fun, thinking about what Bill had told him, but with Bill whispering in his ear and giggling, Ted finds it easier to forget.

Once the light starts to fade, they all begin to make their way to bed, dictated by the setting sun. Bill goes on ahead, tired from the excitement, but Ted stays to help Liz put all the game pieces away, bumping into each other and joking playfully. She kisses his cheek goodnight, heading back to her and Jo's bedroom, and as Ted starts down the hall to get into bed with Bill, Danny whispers to him from the kitchen.

"What's up?" Ted asks as he makes his way over to the open doorway, and Danny raises an eyebrow at him.

"You know, it's the end of the world, Ted. We're not standing on ceremony here," Danny says cryptically. Ted can't help it, his face twists in confusion.

"What?"

"You know, I've seen how you and Bill look at the girls. You can swap bedrooms so you can share with them, I don't mind."

Ted's mouth opens slightly in shock, totally caught off guard by Danny's forward suggestion, and his sleepy brain takes a second to respond. "Uh-"

"Ted, no need to say anything, I understand! You were trying to be respectful," Danny says with a little smirk, patting Ted on the shoulder. "I'd offer you some of my condoms, but I'm already running out as it is."

"No way, dude," Ted bursts out, a little too loud. "It's not like that."

"Missy's told me you're a bit shy, it's ok," Danny says, and he's speaking in a way that makes Ted's skin crawl, like they're in on a secret together. "Just know I approve, if you want to swap rooms. No need for sneaking around."

Ted's shocked into silence, and Danny just pats him on the shoulder again before making his way down the hall towards his and Missy's room. "Goodnight, Ted."

"Night," Ted says softly, politeness ingrained in him from years ago making the words come out, even through the weird feeling that's filling him. Maybe Bill was right- Danny _does_ seem like a dickweed.

Ted feels uneasy as he undresses and slips under the covers with Bill, who’s already half asleep and murmurs a little hello as Ted curls up next to him. Ted doesn’t want to bother him with what Danny said, not after Bill’s exhausting day, so he just lays there, watching as the light fades from the room entirely.

Bill scoots into his space after a while, sliding up next to Ted and throwing an arm over his chest. When he speaks, his voice is rough with tiredness and as soft as can be. “What’s up, dude?”

“Nothing,” Ted replies, and carefully puts his hand over Bill’s like he’s afraid he’ll scare him away. “Thinking.”

“‘Bout what?” Bill shoves his face between Ted’s shoulder and the mattress, rubbing his nose over the soft cotton of his shirt, and finally settles with his cheek pressing the knob of Ted’s shoulder. 

“You’re tired, dude,” Ted protests, but Bill just shrugs and wiggles Ted back and forth until he’s giggling. “Okay, Okay- Danny just said something _most_ heinous to me, before I came in.”

“What’d he say?” Bill asks, sounding a little more awake, and Ted shimmies a little closer, until he can feel the heat of Bill’s body all down his arm. 

“He said that we could share the bedrooms with the babes,” Ted answers, unable to keep the way he feels about that suggestion out of his tone, upset lacing his words. “But said he couldn’t lend us condoms, dude. Like he thinks we’re dating them or- making love to them, secretly.”

“Bogus,” Bill scoffs. “His head’s always in the gutter, dude. Jo told me that he flirts with the two of them constantly.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He said something when we were out, about Jo.” Bill shrugs. “He’s just a dick, dude.”

“Yeah,” Ted sighs, and thinks about how much he loves Bill’s body against his like this, warm in the dark.

\---

Ted wakes with a jolt, room pitch black, and lays confused in the dark for a moment before he hears Bill making little noises next to him, small and fearful.

“Bill?” Ted whispers, voice raspy and rough as can be, turning onto his back. Bill doesn’t respond, twitching slightly, so Ted brushes his hand gently up Bill’s back.

Bill jolts away from his touch with a startled noise, and then with a gasp, goes completely still, rigid between the sheets. It hardly sounds like he’s breathing, just his little tight gasps of air the only noise in the room.

“Bill?” Ted asks again, and Bill lets out all his breath out in a rush, turning his head to look at Ted. There’s a little moonlight in the room, filtering blue through the curtain, and it reflects in Bill’s wide, fearful eyes. “What’s up, dude?”

“Nightmare,” Bill breathes, and when Ted touches his back again, he comes, curling up against Ted’s side with his head on Ted’s arm. Ted turns into Bill so he can wrap more fully around him, and when their chests are finally pressed together he can feel how hard Bill’s heart is beating.

“You okay?” Ted whispers into Bill’s curls, holding him tight, and Bill does nothing but breathe for a moment, tummy moving against Ted’s. Finally, he shakes his head.

“Thinking about that house,” Bill murmurs, taking a shaky breath. “I didn’t want- I don’t want to kill them, dude. What if they’re, like- what if they’re still alive?”

Ted swallows and squeezes Bill tighter, not knowing what to say. He’s right, they don’t know anything about what’s going on- so far, Bill’s only killed that one gnarly dude in the store, but that was because Ted was in _danger_. To be forced to kill more of them when it could have been avoided…

“They seem _most_ dead,” Ted tries to reason with him, trying to make Bill feel a little better. “But yeah. I don’t want to kill them either, dude.”

“I would if you were gonna get hurt, though,” Bill insists, pulling his face out of Ted’s chest to look up at him as best he can in the dark. “I would.”

“Me too, dude,” Ted replies, and he can’t help it, he presses his lips to Bill’s forehead, almost a kiss. “I don’t- I get so scared dude, at not having you around.”

“Me too,” Bill says, pressing closer, clutching at Ted’s back. “I have dreams where I didn’t make it in time, and the zombie ate you, dude.”

Ted chokes up a little, clutching at Bill just as tightly. “Me too. But you just never came- you didn’t answer me.”

“I will, Ted,” Bill insists, pressing his face to Ted’s neck as they cling to one another. “Don’t worry. I’ll always be there, dude.”

“Me too,” Ted replies thickly.

They lay there for a long time, clinging, before eventually relaxing bit by bit, finally falling asleep tangled in each other’s arms.

\---

Ted wakes before Bill, like always, soft morning light filtering in through the curtains. Their room feels cold and sterile, neutral colors and blue walls being amplified by the indirect sunrise, but Bill’s cheeks and lips are pink, hair golden on the pillow.

Ted lays there, dozing, still wrapped around Bill. They’ve never slept face to face like this, so he revels in the little pleasure of watching Bill sleep, the way his mouth moves slightly, his little snoring breaths, his eyes moving behind his eyelids, his long blonde lashes. He looks less tired than he did back at the apartment, when he had been taking care of Ted through his illness- the dark circles that had swooped under his eyes faded. 

The sun slowly rises, the house silent, and Ted gets to see when Bill wakes, shifting slightly before his eyelashes flutter open. Bill blinks a couple of times before focusing on Ted’s face, so near his own, and when he smiles, Ted’s belly swoops.

“‘Morning,” Bill says, voice rough. 

“‘Morning,” Ted responds, thinking about the way Bill’s heart has sped up. He drags his hand slowly up Bill’s back, wanting to touch, and loves the way he presses closer to Ted.

Then, just for a second- Bill’s gaze dips to Ted’s mouth.

Ted feels like a hot surge of adrenaline rushes through him, even as Bill looks away, rolling onto his back and stretching. Bill’s cheeks are pink, squeezing his eyes shut as he pushes his arms over his head with a groan, and Ted wonders if he saw what he thought he saw. He lays on his side, watching Bill, knuckles nestled against Bill’s side where his hand fell when Bill turned.

“I grabbed some apple jacks yesterday, dude,” Bill says softly, finally looking at Ted again, grinning. “We don’t have milk, but-”

“They’re my favorite,” Ted finishes softly, and Bill nods, turning back on his side. His cheek is still resting on Ted’s outstretched arm, pink and hot against the crease of Ted’s elbow, and Ted wonders if Bill can feel how hard his heart is beating.

“Yeah, dude,” Bill agrees, and extends his fingers for them to wiggle together, both of them making little whining guitar noises.

“ _Excellent_ ,” Ted whispers, and when Bill grins at him, he can’t help but smile back.

\---

The apple jacks are a little stale, since the box had been opened who knows how long ago, but Ted still enjoys them, humming happily as he digs his hand in the crinkling bag to scoop out the little o’s. Bill keeps knocking his foot against Ted’s ankle, glancing over at him as he eats, and eventually Ted just wiggles his toes against the top of Bill’s, hooking their ankles together. Bill looks away to say good morning to Missy as she stumbles in the room, but his pink ears betray him, and Ted’s tummy flips.

The morning is quiet and pleasant, all of them quietly talking, finally having a nice choice of food because of yesterday’s run. Ted feels at peace, as much as he can, surrounded by some of the people he loves most.

Ted’s about to suggest to Bill that they go down to the shore, since the sun is shining bright and warm, when Danny slowly shuffles into the kitchen. The grunts in response to their good mornings, coming over to sit next to Missy, and she gets up to grab him some food.

“Don’t tell me you ate all of those,” Danny says to Ted, eyeing the box. “I was looking forward to having some.”

“Oh, sorry, dude,” Ted says, and hands him the rest. “There weren’t that many, anyway.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Danny breathes, and Ted’s stomach drops a little at his aggressive tone. He looks at his hands, fingers covered in cereal dust, and brushes them off on his pants as he unhooked his ankle from Bill's.

“I got them for Ted, dude,” Bill pipes up, sounding annoyed. “They’re his favorite, and I found the box.”

“All the food needs to be divided equally,” Danny retorts. Ted glances at the babes from under his bangs- they’re silent, faces tense. “Unless you want to give up those oats you’re eating. After all, _I’m_ the one who found those.”

“You don’t need to be a dick about it,” Bill mumbles. “You grabbed Missy that book. I wanted to get Ted something.”

“Missy’s my _girlfriend_ ,” Danny sneers. “Unless there’s something you’d like to tell us.”

“Danny, that’s enough,” Missy says firmly. “There’s no reason to take out your bad mood on Bill!”

Danny grunts and crosses his arms, and Bill’s face twists in annoyance before going back to his food. Ted sits, tense and silent, until Bill nudges his knee against Ted’s.

“Wanna go out to the beach?” Bill asks quietly, and Ted shrugs, nodding a little. 

“Be careful,” Jo says, putting her hand on Bill’s shoulder. “I’ll sit by the window, just in case.”

“Thanks, Jo,” Bill sighs, shoveling the last of his oats in his mouth before tossing the plastic bowl in the garbage. “C’mon, Ted.”

“Can’t argue with me like a man?” Danny pipes up as they stand. Ted twists his fingers in the hem of his sweatshirt hard.

“Shut up, dude,” Bill scoffs. “They’re just apple jacks.”

“Danny, what is the matter with you?” Missy asks, looking shocked. 

“We almost got killed, yesterday!” Danny yells at her. Ted flinches back in surprise, and feels Bill's hand on his hip. “I told you! We almost got killed because he didn’t listen to me.”

“Who died and made you in charge, dude,” Bill says, crossing his arms. “You’re the one who decided to check out that house. You could _see_ the zombies inside, through the window.”

“We needed to take care of them!”

“No we didn’t!” Bill finally yells back. “They were just in there, minding their own business. We could have left them alone.”

“And because you were too much of a pussy, _I_ almost got bitten,” Danny sneers, gesturing at Bill violently. “Because you didn’t listen.”

“Just because this is your house, or because you’re dating our step-mom, doesn’t make you our _dad_ ,” Ted bursts out, finally finding his words. “We did just fine without you.”

“Then leave,” Danny says, raising an eyebrow at the two of them. “If you did so well without us, go back to living in your shitty van.”

“Danny!” Missy cries. “Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Missy!” Danny yells at her. Her eyes widen before narrowing, and she crosses her arms over her chest as she purses her lips.

“Don’t _you_ tell _me_ what to do,” She says, deadly quiet. “They’re my family. They’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh, so now you’re all ganging up on me, huh?” Danny says, rolling his eyes. “I shelter you, feed you, _protect_ you. That’s all for nothing?”

“No! I _love_ you, you colossal idiot. But you’re being too hard on them. We’re a _team_ ,” Missy says, poking him in the chest. “We need each other to survive.”

Danny’s face twists before he sighs, slumping a little. “Alright.”

“Boys, go to the beach,” Missy says, brooking no argument, and Bill shuffles Ted out of the kitchen, hands on his hips.

“What a most odious start to the day,” Ted says softly, hanging his head, and Bill hesitates in pushing him so he can slide his arms around Ted’s waist. Ted takes in a sharp breath, surprised, but then melts into Bill’s arms, putting his hands over Bill’s.

“But you had apple jacks, dude,” Bill says, squeezing Ted before letting him go. “That’s not so bad.”

“Yeah,” Ted agrees, and thinks that touching Bill is better than apple jacks, any day.

Jo slides up next to them, ruffling Bill’s hair, and whispers, “What a jerk.”

Bill grins at her. “You’re really gonna watch us?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll look away if I need to,” Jo teases with a wink, and Ted’s belly swoops when he sees how blotchy Bill’s cheeks get.

“Shut up, Jo,” Bill mumbles, and shoves Ted gently. “C’mon, Ted.”

Ted pauses once they’re outside, pushing his bare toes into the grass, and takes a deep breath. The air is fresh and cool, out here, and after a little over a week indoors, it feels almost wrong to be outside like this, dangerous and scary and overwhelming. There’s no sound other than the breaking of the waves- the dead silence between them is both eerie and comforting in equal parts.

“C’mon,” Bill nudges, grinning up at Ted. Ted grins back, giddy.

They make their way carefully onto the boardwalk, peering up and down for any signs of movement, before walking quietly through the dunes. The sea grass rustles in the breeze as the sun beats down on Ted’s head, and he feels an overwhelming urge to yell and run, so much open space after so long confined in terror. He vibrates, shaking his hands out, and Bill bumps into him with a little laugh. When they finally get to the beach proper, Ted looks one last time for any sign of person or un-dead before letting out a tiny noise and sprinting down towards the water. Bill calls his name, laughter on his tongue, and Ted can hear his feet pounding the sand behind him as they both race to the surf.

Ted can’t help but look around them again once they get there, but the beach is empty and silent except for them, no footprints but their own, no tire tracks or loud radios or families on the sand. He’s never been to a beach like this, completely empty, and wonders if this is what it was like before. Seems a bit bogus, to have it all for just a couple of people.

“What’s up?” Bill asks quietly from beside him, and when Ted looks down, sees Bill wiggling his toes into the sand, just like Ted is.

“Thinking about how empty it is,” Ted replies, looking up and out at the endless horizon. 

“It’s not empty anymore, dude,” Bill says, matter of fact. Ted nods in agreement, bumping his shoulder against Bill’s, and they stand there a moment before Ted flops down to the sand, sighing and splaying all his limbs out, like he’s about to make a snowman. Bill looks down at him, handsome with the sun shining on his curls, sky a bright blue backdrop- when he smiles, Ted can do nothing but look at him, feeling like a million butterflies are fluttering inside his body.

“C’mere,” Ted says softly, finding his courage, and Bill goes pink as he sits beside Ted, laying on the sand. They’re close enough that their arms touch and their feet bump, and Ted wiggles his toes against Bill’s, making a little air guitar noise as if it’s like when they flutter their fingers together. Bill laughs, bright and loud, and when Ted turns to look at him, he finds Bill already looking back.

They lay there until the surf starts to brush at their toes; Ted digs his feet into the wet sand, sighing happily, but the next wave pushes up over the little mound of sand and sweeps into them, soaking their backs in an instant.

They both yelp, clambering to their feet and clinging to each other through their surprised laughter. The winter sea is freezing, and with the wind even the sun can’t warm them with their clothes cold and wet all down half of their bodies. There’s still no sign of anyone on the beach as they start to walk back up towards the dunes, and when Ted trips over his feet on an uneven bit of sand, Bill takes his hand and doesn’t let go, all the way back up to the boardwalk.

They tumble through the door, and when Jo raises an eyebrow at them from her perch by the window, all Ted can do is smile at her, giddy and overwhelmed by his feelings. Ted doesn’t look at Bill, worried about what he’ll see, but Bill squeezes his hand one last time before letting go, telling Jo about how the wave just crept up on them.

They strip out of their wet clothes right there so they don’t drip everywhere, and Ted peeks his head into the kitchen on the way to the bathroom to wave at Missy and tell her they’re home, shivering in the cool air. Danny’s there too, talking to her quietly, and just as Ted’s about to turn and go, Danny says-

“What’s that, on your arm?”

Ted looks down in surprise, wondering if a piece of seaweed got stuck to him, when he realizes: Danny’s never been told he was bitten.

Danny rises from his chair, and Ted makes wild eye contact with Bill, who’s standing by the hall. Who _knows_ how Danny will react to this, especially after how he was behaving this morning.

“Sports accident?” Danny asks absent-mindedly, and when Ted looks at Missy over his shoulder, her wide-eyed look tells him all he needs to know. “You know, I played football in high school.”

“I-” Ted chokes out, and jumps when he feels Bill’s hand on his bare back. “It’s-”

Danny takes Ted’s wrist and turns his arm to see better, and Ted can tell the moment he registers what the scar is, still red and raised but finally healing. His grip tightens almost to the point of pain on Ted’s wrist before he drops it like it’s burning him, taking a couple of quick steps back, like Missy did when she first saw the mark.

“Ted got bitten, when they were still in San Dimas,” Missy says quickly, rising to her feet and walking over to Ted. “But he’s alright, so-”

“Get away from him!” Danny yells, loud and sudden, and Ted flinches. “Missy, don’t- he’s dangerous!”

“He is _not_ ,” Missy says firmly, standing her ground at Ted’s flank. Bill shifts closer on Ted’s other side- it should feel silly, the two of them standing in their underwear in the kitchen, holding sodden armfuls of clothes, but Ted feels as far away from laughing as can possibly be.

“Missy.” Danny sounds desperate, voice shaking. “He could turn whenever.”

“You told me that the bite turns people,” Missy says. “That if people don’t die, they get sicker and sicker until they _do_ , and then they turn. Ted got _better_.”

“It’s impossible,” Danny insists. “The guy I got on the phone- he said that the bite was a death sentence.”

Ted shivers violently; Danny’s words, combined with the adrenaline rushing through him and his lack of dress, cold and wet and fearful in the kitchen, make him feel like he’s out of control of his body. Missy turns to him, petting her hands over his arms and up to his cheeks.

“Go take a bath, you two, and warm up. We can talk after, okay?” Missy’s voice is kind and soft, and Ted feels so special to have her close, touching him in a display of both affection and fearlessness. She looks into his eyes, mouth set firmly, and knows that she’ll always be on his side.

“Thanks, Missy,” Bill says quietly, and puts his hand on Ted’s hip to lead him towards the bathroom. Jo is standing in the living room, wide-eyed and nervous looking, surely having overheard Danny’s outburst- but all she does is come over and squeeze Ted’s hand before letting them go.

Ted keeps shaking, all the way up until Bill pushes him gently towards the bath, prompting him to get in first. He strips out of his underwear and climbs into the tub as it fills, immediately bringing his knees up to curl his arms around them, putting his face in the dark place created between his chest and thighs.

“It’ll be okay, dude,” Bill says, shifting to sit on the bathmat. His hand is warm and gentle as he pets softly over Ted’s hair. 

“What if I _am_ still dangerous, dude?” Ted asks, voice small. “What if it’s just… delayed, you know? What if I wake up one night and-”

“It won’t happen,” Bill says firmly. “You don’t feel sick, right?”

Ted shakes his head, peering out over his arm. Bill’s face is set- there won’t be any changing his mind.

“Dude,” Bill starts, swallowing heavily. “You were _most_ heinously sick, in our apartment. There were days where you couldn’t even recognize me, Ted. I was so- I thought-”

Bill stops talking, like he can’t even make himself go on, and Ted uncurls to lean against the side of the tub, tugging Bill into a tight hug. Bill takes a shaky breath and hugs him back.

“I don’t want to be scared, dude,” Bill continues, breathing softly against Ted’s neck. “And I don’t want _you_ to be scared. I don’t think you’re gonna turn, dude. Not if you didn’t, back then.”

Ted nods, cheek rubbing against Bill's skin. Bill wouldn’t lie to him; no one else knows what it was like, when Ted was sick, and if Bill thinks that he’ll be okay, Ted believes him.

\---

When the two of them emerge from the bathroom, warmed up and dressed in dry clothes, the rest of the house is sitting in the living room. Liz waves them over, patting the couch next to her, and takes Ted’s hand comfortingly when he flops to the cushions. Bill sits close on his other side, thigh pressing tightly to Ted’s, and Ted feels buoyed by their love and support.

“So,” Danny starts, looking serious. “You were bitten.”

Ted nods, shrugging his shoulders. “In the grocery store, in San Dimas. I thought- I thought the dude was someone who was hurt. I had to check on him.”

“What happened, after?”

“Ted got most heinously sick, dude,” Bill chimes in, voice soft. “He had a fever for like, six days. He couldn’t really do anything, he was so weak. Sometimes he would hallucinate the gnarly dude, or that I was someone else, or… other stuff, I don’t even know.”

“And you feel fine, now?” Danny prompts.

Ted nods. “I was a little weak, after, but it just felt like after you get the flu, you know? I hadn’t eaten a lot, I don't think?”

Bill nods, looking at him, and Ted’s mouth twists, feeling raw and emotional at having to relieve such a terror-filled time. He thinks about how much worse it must be for Bill, who has clear memories of the whole thing, and takes Bill’s hand with his free one.

“We had to leave the day after Ted’s fever went down,” Bill continues. “And we only traveled for three days before getting here, so it's been over a week since he's gotten better. He seems fine, doesn’t he?”

“He does,” Danny concedes, though he doesn’t sound wholly convinced. “The girls know this, but I have a friend, in the military. He told me before the phones shut down that the way people turn is the bite, but more specifically the _saliva_ is what makes you sick. It gets into your blood when the teeth break the skin, and then if you aren’t eaten alive, you get sicker and sicker until you die, and then… you come back.”

Ted swallows thickly, stomach twisting. He takes a deep breath and lets it out through his nose, ducking his head to let his bangs hang in his face, and tries his hardest to not think about what would have happened if he had turned in their apartment.

“So if Ted is alright,” Liz pipes up, speaking slowly, like she’s thinking. “Maybe he’s… immune?”

“That would be incredible,” Danny admits, and Missy nods next to him. “But that doesn’t mean we’re safe. He could still infect us.”

“No way, dude,” Bill argues. “I’m okay.”

“But who knows why,” Danny says, brushing him off. “I guess as long as he doesn’t share food or drink with us, it should be okay. I’m not taking any chances.”

“You really think, with how close they are, that Bill wouldn’t have been infected by now? If that was the case?” Jo asks, sounding a little annoyed. Danny shrugs and crosses his arms.

“I’m not taking any chances,” Danny repeats, and his tone brooks no argument. They all sit there in silence until Danny stands, tugging his sweater in place. “I’m going to go rest. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Missy sighs once he leaves the room and hoists herself up off the loveseat, coming over to cup Ted’s cheeks and press a kiss to his forehead. “I’m sorry he’s been such a jerk today.”

“It’s okay,” Ted replies, voice soft and rough, and she smiles at him before making her way into the hall, probably to check on Danny. 

“It’s _not_ okay, Theodore,” Liz says suddenly, sounding upset. “He had no right to treat you in that way.”

“Liz is right,” Bill says, voice tight with anger. “You’re _okay_ , dude.”

“But I could still make you all sick,” Ted says, so soft, and rests his elbows on his knees, head in his hands. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Oh, Theodore,” Liz says, and lays her cheek on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around him. “You won’t.”

Ted shrugs, and Bill shifts next to him before putting his cheek on Ted’s other shoulder, petting over his back. Ted hears Jo move, and then she’s kneeling in front of him- with the three of them around him, comforting him, Ted feels better and better as the minutes pass, and eventually he drops his hands from his face, heaving out a sigh.

“Wanna play a game?” He asks, and they all nod. Jo grins at him from the floor, squeezing his hand, and Ted finds it’s easy to smile back at her.

\---

The next morning, Ted wakes early, unable to sleep. The sun’s only just started to peek over the horizon, pale light filtering through the curtain, so Ted crawls carefully out of bed so he doesn’t wake Bill up.

Surprisingly, when he makes it to the kitchen, Missy is already sitting there, hands wrapped around a mug. She looks at him, startled, when he knocks his knuckles against the doorframe, but then smiles at him and waves him over. He sits next to her with a sigh, peering into her mug, and makes a confused noise when he only sees water.

“Makes me feel normal,” She says quietly. “Wake up, get a mug, drink out of it. If I think hard enough, I can imagine it’s coffee.”

Ted nods; he’s never been one for drinking coffee, but he thinks he gets it, a little. His fingers itch for his guitar, but he doesn’t feel like going to grab it out of the van- they’ve taken to storing their stuff in there, since it feels more like their room than where they sleep. It’s not like it’s that far of a walk from the living room, anyway.

“I’m gonna go for a walk on the beach,” Ted says, and Missy nods, taking his hand so she can squeeze it.

“I’ll watch you out the window. Don’t go too far, ok?” 

The morning air is chilly and refreshing in Ted’s lungs, and he walks silently over the dewy grass in his bare feet, wrapping his arms around himself. The sky is grey this morning, filtering the early sunrise even more, and he suddenly feels desperately, inconsolably alone. He glances behind himself when he gets to the boardwalk, looking at the dark house; he sees Missy in the window, and when he waves at her, she waves back.

He checks the boardwalk before climbing up and over it to the dunes, and silently crunches through the sand, peering around him whenever he crosses a new path. It feels dangerous, to be out here alone, but after yesterday, he aches with the fear of being around the others. 

Sleeping with Bill last night had been both a comfort and a _most_ non-triumphant reminder of what he couldn’t have. Bill had defiantly wrapped around him when they had crawled into bed, spooning tightly against Ted’s back, but it didn’t change the reality of the situation- Ted could kill him, if he wasn’t careful.

He reaches the water, dark and foamy as the waves break roughly, and wonders if a storm is coming. The wind is rough, traveling from the north, and it whips Ted’s hair around his face as he closes his eyes and breathes.

He can never kiss Bill.

The thought had come to him as he lay awake, listening to Bill breathe, feeling the slow beat of his heart against his back, the twitch of his body as he slipped into deep sleep- if the virus was transmitted through saliva, Ted would never kiss Bill. He couldn’t live with himself, if he hurt his best friend over something as small as a kiss. 

They had been together practically their whole lives, but Ted only started feeling this way acutely in the past month, seeing how careful Bill was as he took care of him, the way he opened up as the world crashed down around them, the sweetness in the way he would look at Ted in the morning, groggy and so tender. He had always loved Bill, but circumstance had made it so they couldn’t be together, so he just forgot about it. Now that they maybe could be with one another in that way- it seemed as if something else had taken that away from him, too.

Ted squeezes his arms around himself even tighter, and sits in the cold sand.

He sits there until the sky gets a little brighter, albeit still grey and gloomy, and he hears footsteps approaching behind him, sand crunching so soft he can hardly hear it over the wind. He turns quickly to find Bill walking towards him, hands shoved in his pockets, curls all out of place.

“Not safe to be out here alone, dude,” Bill says, voice rough. He must have just woken up.

“Sorry,” Ted says, and looks back out at the horizon. He’s so cold, toes and fingers numb, and when Bill reaches a hand down to him, Ted’s shocked by how warm he feels.

“Dude, you’re frozen,” Bill says with a little laugh, pulling Ted to his feet. He rubs his hands roughly over Ted’s arms, up and down to try to warm him up, and Ted can’t help himself, he leans into Bill to wrap him in a tight hug.

“Sorry, dude,” Ted says again, and Bill hugs him back just as tightly, nudging his nose against Ted’s cold skin.

“Just wake me up, next time,” Bill murmurs. “I don’t mind.”

Ted feels a wash of affection rush through him, and thinks, _I love you_.

Then, carried on the wind, the sound of glass breaking pierces the silence between the breaking waves.

They pull apart slightly, staring at each other in confusion, and then again, between the next two waves, they hear another noise. It’s unidentifiable, but still just as frightening- sound where there should be silence.

Both of them pull apart and start to run up the beach towards the house, hampered by the way the sand slips under their feet, but they finally make it to the boardwalk, breathing heavily. There’s no more out of place noises, but the two of them still peer carefully up and down the boards before rushing across and up to the house.

Missy waves hello at them when they burst into the kitchen, yawning sleepily, and Ted puts his hands on his knees to pant as Bill gasps, “Someone’s nearby.”

“What?” Missy says, blinking in surprise, and Bill draws the curtains shut quickly. 

“We heard glass break, on the beach,” Ted chokes out, finally straightening. “And more noises.”

“They’re back,” Miss says, fearful, and rushes to stand and run through the house, drawing all the curtains shut that face the back of the house. 

“Who’s back?” Bill asks, both him and Ted following her. 

“The looters,” Missy explains, walking quickly back towards her bedroom. “Go wake up the girls.”

“What’s going on, Missy?” Bill asks, but Ted turns and makes his back back to Liz and Jo’s room, knocking quietly. When he doesn’t hear a response, he opens the door and peers in, finding the two of them still asleep, lumps under the covers in the dark.

“Liz?” Ted whispers, and leaves the door open wide for light, walking softly across the carpet. “Jo?”

Neither of them have responded by the time he gets to the bed, so he gently places his hand on Liz’s shoulder, shaking her. She makes a noise and jolts awake, reaching under the pillow as she pulls away from him, but relaxes and breathes a sigh of relief when she sees who it is.

“You scared the daylights out of me, Theodore,” Liz chastises, panting, and Jo mumbles behind her as she begins to shift, waking up.

“Missy said to wake you up, there are looters,” Ted whispers, and Liz sits up the rest of the way, looking alarmed.

“Johanna, wake up,” Liz says urgently, shaking her sister. Jo grumbles but turns on her back, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

“What are we gonna do?” Ted asks, and Liz climbs out of bed, quickly pulling on pants and a sweater over her nightshirt. Jo sits up, making a questioning noise.

“Looters,” Liz says succinctly to her sister, and Jo blinks, eyes widening, before scrambling out of bed to get dressed. “Theodore, go pack up yours and William’s things and bring them to the van.”

“What?”

“Theodore, go!” Jo whispers, shooing him. “We need to be ready to leave, just in case they break in!”

Ted nods dumbly, swallowing down the anxiety that’s filling him up at their urgency, and rushes to his and Bill’s room to shove their clothes back in their duffel bags. Bill finds him there and starts to collect their comics from around the room, pushing them back into their box.

“Missy told me that last time looters came through they skipped this house,” Bill says softly, coming over to help Ted push their clothes into the duffels. “But they have guns, she said. So now they just get ready to run, if they need to.”

“Ted, come help me get the food in the kitchen,” Missy whispers from the door, waving him after her as she disappears, and Ted swallows, staring at Bill with wide eyes.

“It’ll be okay, dude,” Bill says, squeezing Ted’s hand and pressing his forehead to Ted’s, an intimate gesture of support. “Danny said that us being on the beach was good, dude. Gave us a head start.”

Ted nods, thinking of how close Bill’s mouth is and how badly he wants to kiss him, and rushes out to the kitchen after Missy.

Danny was right, in the end. They’re all in the garage, Danny’s SUV and Bill and Ted’s van both packed with their things and all their food, the door to the house locked, when they hear the sound of glass shattering, loud and obviously from inside the house. Danny nods at Bill, gesturing to the cars, and he and Bill climb into the drivers seats of their cars while Liz and Ted get ready to pull the garage doors up for them to run. Once everyone is in and ready, Danny gestures again, and Ted pulls with all his might, the doors making loud noises on their tracks as both cars start up. 

Ted’s heart is pounding as he rushes to the side door of the van and tumbles in, slamming it shut as Bill reverses down the driveway and on to the street in the opposite direction from Danny, both of them speeding away through the rows of abandoned houses. Without a car, there’s no way the looters could catch up with them, but they had decided to leave the complex in two directions and meet up later, just in case. Ted practically jumps out of his skin when he hears the loud bang of a gunshot from behind them, but Bill still continues to drive, the van not affected, and Ted breathes a sigh of relief as he crawls to the front seat, buckling himself in and finally pulling on his socks and shoes.

“ _Dude_ ,” Bill says, tightly, and Ted nods. He waits until they’re on the main road, Bill finally untensing, before reaching across the gap to wiggle his fingers. Bill wiggles his fingers back and Ted catches them in his own, squeezing tightly. Bill squeezes back, holding Ted’s hand, and they drive away from the house on the beach.


	3. Chapter 3

Bill and Ted drive for miles, moving north and inland, like Danny had told them to do. The base is further away from the shore, and Ted gives a little silent farewell to the ocean, wishing he had spent more time on the beach while they had been in Danny’s house.

The plan that Danny had laid out, quickly and quietly as he highlighted their map route with a pencil, was that Bill and Ted were supposed to drive north and then east, while Danny and the babes would go east first, and _then_ north. The idea had been that just in case they were followed, it would be harder to pin them down, and that they were supposed to meet about a day’s drive from the complex and arrive together. Missy had seemed like she objected to them splitting up, and Ted had kind of agreed, but there had been no time to argue.

It’ll never feel strange, to be alone with Bill. Ted supposes, watching the scenery fly by outside the window, that the strangeness he feels is the knowledge that people he loves aren’t safe, and now that they’ve separated, there’s no guarantee that he’ll ever see them again. It makes him feel off kilter, but Bill humming next to him makes him feel a little better, and he quickly puts those sad thoughts out of his mind.

While they’re driving, Ted crawls into the back and rummages through some of the food they shoved in the car in the rush, and finds they don’t really have much. They’ll have to hit a grocery store before they meet back up with the group- the idea turns Ted’s stomach, but he figures if they do it together, and carefully, things should go alright.

He says all this to Bill, who hums, eyes still on the road. “I’ll keep an eye out for a store. We should try to pick one that’s further out, y’know?”

Ted nods, and grabs a bag of chips for them to share as they start to look. The sun’s inching towards the horizon, so their time is running out, but Ted trusts Bill and his judgement. If they have to eat chips for dinner, it won’t be the end of the world.

They find a store just as the sun starts to dip towards the trees, glass shattered, plastic bags streaming in the wind where they’ve caught on things. The lights aren’t on in the building at all, and with the jagged cut of the glass, Ted thinks the store looks like a zombie itself, ready to eat them both. 

“We should see if they have flashlights, dude,” Ted says, absentmindedly.

“A most excellent suggestion, Ted,” Bill responds, and pulls the van up right in front of the doors, like last time. He grabs his bat off the floor while Ted crawls in the back to empty his duffel, and they climb out of the van quietly. 

Ted listens carefully as Bill circles around to meet him on the sidewalk, but he doesn’t hear anything other than the rustling of the plastic bags. There are birds calling in some of the trees nearby, and even that little sign of life makes Ted feel more comfortable, bumping shoulders with Bill.

They climb carefully through the broken glass of the doors, peering around in the darkness, and Bill points silently to the home goods aisle to direct Ted. They don’t speak, the deadly silence of the store putting them both on edge, but they move quickly down the dark aisle, peering about as best they can. Surprisingly, there is a flashlight, and Ted scrounges up a bunch of batteries; the store had seemed pretty ransacked, but this is something people maybe didn’t think to grab. Bill struggles with the packaging for a moment before finally getting the flashlight free, and in a minute, they have a beam of light pointing into the darkness.

They make their way through the rest of the store, grabbing whatever’s left. There’s truly not much, but it’s better than nothing- Ted’s stomach grumbles, and Bill grins at him as he shoves another can into the bag. 

When they emerge, the sun is just brushing the treetops. Ted’s never been afraid of the dark before- he and Bill used to stay up to all hours, and before that, they would roam San Dimas at night, hanging out at the Circle-K until Ted’s curfew. Now, he knows that being caught out at night in the wrong place could mean trouble.

“Let’s get out of here, Bill,” Ted whispers as he hoists the bag of food into the back, and Bill nods, putting a soothing hand on Ted’s hip.

They find a little park to stay in for the night, pulling through the gates and tucking the van under a tree. It doesn’t feel as safe as being on a deserted stretch of road, but Bill points out that people aren’t going to be coming into a park at night. Ted nods, and when Bill reaches out his hand, Ted takes it.

Bill tucks himself close along Ted’s back once they get into bed, nudging his nose against Ted’s neck. Ted thinks about this morning, sitting on the beach, and tries to remember that at least he _has_ Bill. He puts his hand over his best friend’s where it’s resting on his chest, and when Bill huffs out a little breath and wiggles closer, Ted squeezes and holds on.

\---

They meet up with the babes and Danny the next day, and Ted finally feels like he can breathe.

Now that they finally have more time, Danny outlines the plan he came up with, explaining all the details; It turns out his “friend” is less of a friend and more of an acquaintance, but he thinks they’ll be let into the complex. He has no idea whether they’re letting in refugees or not, but he’s sure they’ll help. After all, isn’t that the military’s job?

They set off again, Danny leading the two car convoy, and Ted’s tummy starts to twist with anxiety, thinking of his dad’s friend Oats and how he had almost been sent to military school in junior year. He’s switched off with Bill for the drivers seat for once, and he squeezes and releases his hands on the wheel to try to get rid of some of his tension.

“What’s up, dude?” Bill asks, rustling through their cassettes to find something to pop in the stereo. 

“Thinking about what a jerk Oats was,” Ted admits, breathing out heavily. “I don’t think you ever met him, dude.”

“Yeah, your dad wouldn’t let me come over when he invited him for dinner,” Bill agrees. “Don’t worry, dude, he won’t be there.”

“I guess,” Ted sighs.

“It’ll be okay, dude,” Bill says softly, and leans over to put his hand on Ted’s shoulder. Ted glances away from the road for just a sec, and smiles when he finds Bill looking earnestly at him. “If it’s bogus, we’ll leave.”

They arrive at a blockade after a couple hours drive, and they have to leave the van behind; it won’t fit under a low hanging beam, crossing the road between two trucks.

“Probably for the best,” Danny says, and Bill’s face twists with the effort of not talking back. “It’ll look less strange when we arrive all together. They’ll have to help us, crammed into a single car.”

“Yeah,” Bill mutters to Ted as they grab their clothes and food. “You’re not the one leaving his guitar behind, dickweed.”

They hide the van as well as they can amongst some trucks and other vehicles off to the side of the road, covering it with a tarp they find fluttering in the wind, and Ted desperately hopes they’ll be able to come back for their stuff. 

It’s a tight fit, all of them crammed in Danny’s van, especially with their bags of clothes and whatever food they have left. Ted throws his arm across the back of the bench seat behind Bill, since his shoulders are so wide, and is filled with a pleased, fluttery feeling when Bill leans into him, pressing his cheek to Ted’s arm as he looks out the window. Johanna winks at him, and Ted can’t help but grin, ducking his head to hide behind his bangs. _It’s okay_ , Ted thinks to himself. _You can have this._

The complex is huge- a large yard taken up by tents and canvas awnings, guards on every guard post, and a big concrete building in the middle, imposing and depressing. Danny approaches slowly, and is met by multiple soldiers with guns at the ready.

“No civilians,” The guard in front says bluntly. “We don’t have any room for non-military personnel.”

“I have a friend, he told me to come here,” Danny says calmly, flashing a wide smile at the soldier. “His name is Gerard Smithson.”

The soldier stares at Danny for a moment before nodding and stepping back to radio. Another steps forward and gestures casually with his rifle. “Any of you infected?”

“No,” Missy says, leaning towards the drivers window with a smile. “We’ve been holed up in a house this whole time. We had to leave because of looters.”

The soldier goes a little pink in the cheeks at her smile, and Bill nudges Ted surreptitiously, the two of them ducking their heads together to try to not giggle. The first guard comes back, face impassive, and tilts his head to Danny. “He said he’ll be down to see you in a minute. Pull over to the side.”

Ted sighs, shifting where he’s pressed uncomfortably between Bill and Jo, and Bill nudges him in the side before holding his hand out for Ted to take, engaging him in a silent thumb war. Ted giggles when Bill pins him, and then they start again, trying not to wiggle around too much as they battle. 

And then, through the silence, a rattling, gut-wrenching groan.

“Hostiles!” One of the soldiers yells, and Ted’s blood turns to ice when he sees a group of zombies start to shuffle from the tree line, shambling towards the lights and noise of the front gate. The soldiers begin to fire, the rattling of the guns egregiously loud, and Ted can’t help but look, watching the way the lumbering creatures are shot down. Bill’s breathing is tight and quick where he’s pressed to Ted’s side, and he clutches Ted’s hand tightly in his lap as they both watch the carnage with wide eyes.

It’s over quickly, but Ted still feels shaken. He’s always hated gunfire- his dad made him go to a shooting range when he was younger, but even with the headphones, the loud noise and the force of the gun as he shot made him shaky and uncomfortable, knowing he had something in his hands that could injure or kill another person. He had cried when he shot a rifle for the first time, the noise and kickback startling him so badly that his body had just reacted, and his dad had been silent on the way home, disappointed.

“It’s okay, Jo,” Ted whispers, putting his hand gently on her hair where she had pushed her face into his shoulder. “They’re all dead, don’t worry.”

No one comes over to speak to them for another hour, Danny huffing and puffing as time passes. Ted gets more and more antsy, a combination of being stuck inside the car for so long with such little room, trying to keep his body still, and the annoyed energy that’s rolling off Danny in waves. He desperately wants to bounce his leg or wiggle a little, but makes do with playing with Bill’s fingers, tracing over the veins and tendons on the back of his hand, the shape of his knuckles and fingernails, pressing the pads of their fingers together. He can feel Bill watching him, cheek pressed to Ted’s shoulder, but he just presses back, silently letting Ted know he’s there.

“Finally,” Danny huffs, and climbs out of the car when he sees a man approaching, a group of soldiers in rigid formation behind him.

They speak quietly for a while, smiling and laughing, but when their faces turn serious, Ted glances nervously at Bill. He feels useless, waiting here, like he’s a little kid again. It feels like everyone in the car jumps when Danny suddenly exclaims, “We need your help!”

“Do you think they’ll let us stay, Missy?” Johanna asks nervously, finally breaking the silence, and Missy watches Danny like a hawk, pursing her lips.

“I don’t know,” She replies, and then sighs. “I think Danny exaggerated his relationship with this guy. But what else are we supposed to do? It’s better to try.”

“They have to help us, right? That’s what the military is supposed to do?” Liz asks.

“Yes, but if they don’t have enough resources...” Missy trails off, smiling warmly and giving a little wave when the man Danny is speaking to looks over at the car.

Danny is speaking quietly again, gesturing to the van, and the man stares at the car for a second before finally nodding. Ted feels a rush of relief wash through him, and feels Bill sigh where they’re pressed together from shoulder to knee.

They usher the car through the gate and towards the building, and the group drives through what is essentially a tent village, holding families and children and soldiers, all watching them with dark, apprehensive eyes. He hopes that there are some nice people here, and when he looks at Bill, he can’t help but smile, excited for the next chapter in their strange journey.

They leave their car and things in the little lot by the front of the building, and are led inside. It looks more like a hospital than a military complex, though Ted hasn’t seen many military buildings; he figures it makes sense that it’s been repurposed into more of a facility that can be used for the good of all those people outside.

“Normal routine?” Danny asks the guard leading them, and the guy nods.

“Gotta test all of you, before you’re allowed in the complex,” the soldier states. Ted’s arm throbs with phantom pain as a wash of cold goes through him, and Bill stumbles as he walks, bumping into him. Missy glances at him out of the corner of her eye, and Ted knows what they’re all thinking, fear of being separated from them making his fingers go numb.

They’re led to a smallish room with some rolling medical equipment and a couple of chairs, sterile and cold with just a wash of grey light coming through the window. Ted clutches his arm over his layers of sweaters and shirts, right where the bite is, and Bill stands so close that Ted can feel his warmth, even through his clothes.

“It’ll be okay, dude,” Bill breathes, wary of the soldier standing outside the cracked door. “You’re not sick. They can’t make you leave.”

Ted just nods, shrugging, and smiles when Bill ducks his head to see under Ted’s bangs, nudging into his side.

A woman in a lab coat comes through and begins to take saliva samples from them, explaining that they test everyone this way when they come through, since they were able to isolate the virus strain. It’s just a routine procedure, she says, though they will have to quarantine until tomorrow, when the test results will be done. There’s even a nice dorm setup, though they’ll have to double up in the beds.

Ted keeps his sleeve firmly down over the bite on his left arm, seeing the rest of them watching him from behind the doctor’s back, and the tiny way Missy nods when she makes eye contact with him- It seems like he’s not the only one who’s nervous about what’ll happen if they find out he was bitten.

Once they’re ushered to the room where they need to quarantine, it’s late. They’re given meager rations for dinner, and the sound of the lock on the door is loud when it clicks into place. Ted peers out of the barred window, though he can’t see much other than rows and rows of tents, crammed together on the barren dirt grounds.

“Most depressing,” Bill says quietly, sliding up next to Ted. Ted nods, and when Bill presses his cheek to Ted’s shoulder, Ted nudges his nose into Bill’s curls, unable to resist.

They were right about having to double up: there are only three tiny twin mattresses on the floor. Ted flops on the one nearest to the wall, feeling exhausted, and Bill curls up next to him with a tired sigh, tracing his fingers over the back of Ted’s hand. None of them really want to talk after such a long day stuck in the car together, so they all slowly drift off to sleep once the light fades.

Ted can’t sleep, feeling tired but like antsy from the lack of movement all day, not wanting to toss and turn and disturb Bill where he's spooned up behind him. The effort it takes to not move makes him feel even more awake, and soon it’s like he’s buzzing, wanting to wiggle out all his anxiety and worry.

“Can’t sleep?” Bill finally breathes, and Ted shakes his head, turning onto his back. Bill glances behind him into the dark room before tugging the blanket up over their heads, and Ted turns again so they’re curled into each other in the dark, secret space.

“Wish I could get up and run around, or something,” Ted whispers back, and feels rather than sees Bill nod in agreement. “Remember when we would get up at three AM sometimes, just to write a song when we couldn’t sleep?”

“Yeah,” Bill says softly. “I wish we didn’t have to leave our guitars behind, dude.”

“Me too,” Ted agrees, and they lay there for a moment. Even through the blanket, the sounds of their friends and family sleeping are obvious, deep breaths and little vocalizations of REM sleep.

“Ted,” Bill whispers, even more softly. “I’m glad we’re here, together.”

“Me too, dude,” Ted whispers back, and shivers when Bill traces his hand up Ted’s arm, petting over his neck to brush his fingers over his cheek. “Bill?”

“Yeah?” Bill breathes, and Ted can’t help himself, he slides his hand over Bill’s waist, hot even through his clothes. Bill’s nose brushes against his in the dark, and Ted can feel the hot wash of his breath over his mouth, so close.

“We can’t, dude,” Ted says, voice shaking, and shifts backwards just slightly, thinking of how he could turn Bill, could make him sick, could _kill_ him. It’s agony, feeling the way Bill freezes and then shifts away, hand dropping from Ted’s cheek. 

“Sorry, dude, I thought-” Bill stammers, still so soft, and Ted shakes his head, scooting back in.

“It’s not safe,” Ted tries to explain, petting his hand up Bill’s tense back. “Y’know? We don’t know-”

“I know,” Bill whispers, cutting him off. “I’m sorry.”

“No, dude,” Ted chokes out, and doesn’t know what else to do other than to press a kiss to Bill’s forehead, tugging him close in a tight, desperate hug. “It’s okay.”

Bill shrugs, but still hugs back Ted just as tightly, pressing his face to Ted’s neck. Ted shivers when he feels the brush of Bill’s lips under his jaw, and wishes things were different.

\---

The next day, they’re left in their room with only one delivery of rations for hours, when finally, someone comes by and pulls Danny into the hallway for questions.

The rest of them wait in silence, exchanging wary glances. Ted’s heart aches when Bill sits further away than he has been, no part of them touching- he longs to explain, wishing that he could tell Bill that even though _he’s_ sure Ted is safe, Ted doesn’t want to take any chances. With the babes awake and listening, though, he knows it would be a stupid idea. 

After a half hour Danny comes back, and after a moment's hesitation, gestures Ted to follow him.

It’s like the air leaves the room, with the collective shocked breath everyone takes, and Ted looks at Bill with wide eyes. Bill finally touches him, reaching over to squeeze his hand, and says, voice rough, “It’ll be okay, dude.”

The two soldiers outside lead Ted and Danny up two floors and down some halls, deeper into the building. He tries to make eye contact with Danny but he doesn’t look at Ted, staring resolutely ahead; Ted swallows nervously, and catches the long sleeves of his sweater between his fingers, rubbing at the fabric.

They’re greeted by the same babe who took their saliva samples. She smiles at them, though it doesn’t reach her eyes, and gestures to the chair next to her.

“Good afternoon, Ted,” She says calmly.

“How’s it hanging?” Ted responds, swallowing thickly. 

“I’ll get straight to the point,” She continues briskly. “Daniel has told us that you were infected, but your saliva test results come up negative for any traces of the virus. Is what he told us true?”

Ted looks at Danny, shocked, and finds that Danny isn’t even looking at him, staring out the window at the grey sky. Ted looks back at the woman, who’s watching him steadily. “I- Yeah. I was bitten.”

“May I see?”

He swallows again and nods, rolling up his sleeve to show her the scar. It’s totally healed now but still pink and shiny, and when she takes his arm firmly in her hands and presses, his hand jerks at the tender feeling.

After she prompts him, he explains the event again, from the way the zombie bit him to how sick he felt, to the way Bill took care of him after. He feels flayed open, explaining this without Bill at his side for support; the babe has been taking notes, but once he’s done talking she puts her hand on his knee.

“We’ll be taking fluid samples from you- all of them,” She explains, gesturing to the table nearby, where plastic jars sit. “More saliva, as well as blood, urine, stool, and semen.”

“What?” He asks, confused. “Why?”

“The virus travels through the saliva, primarily, but we’ve discovered traces of it in other fluid samples taken from the infected,” She explains. “If we want to figure out why you’re immune, we need to exhaust every avenue. I understand it may be uncomfortable, but we need you to comply.”

Ted nods, and after she takes more saliva and a blood sample, is sent into a locked bathroom with his little containers. He hasn’t been in a hospital setting like this since his accident as a teenager, when he got the long scar on his stomach, and it brings back weird memories. He just focuses on getting it done and doesn’t think, and soon he’s able to leave the bathroom, leaving all his little samples behind on the counter.

The woman is gone, and the soldiers lead him and Danny back down to the quarantine room.

“You have him, can’t we stay somewhere more comfortable? Get our things, maybe?” Danny asks, but one of the soldiers shakes his head in response. 

“Until those tests come back, you need to stay in quarantine. Doctor’s orders.”

“But we just broke quarantine to get the tests,” Danny argues.

The soldier shrugs, and gestures to the door. “Doctors orders.”

Danny huffs and walks back into the room, and Ted follows, ducking his head. The others rush forward as the lock clicks, petting over Ted’s shoulders and hair, and Bill takes Ted’s hand, squeezing tight.

“Did your test come up positive?” Missy asks, sounding frightened. “Are you okay?”

“It was negative,” Ted says, shaking his head. “They needed to get more samples.”

“From both of you?” Elizabeth asks, brow furrowed.

“Just me,” Ted says quietly.

“They know, dude?” Bill asks him, and Ted nods, looking at his worried face from under his bangs. “How?”

Ted shrugs and glances at Danny, unable to help himself. Danny’s staring at him, arms crossed, and Ted looks back down at his feet as he shrugs again. There’s silence in the room for a moment, before-

“You _dickweed_ , you told them?” Bill bursts out, turning to Danny. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“What?” Missy gasps, turning to look at Danny. “You did _what_?”

“Look, they weren’t going to let us stay, otherwise,” Danny explains, raising an eyebrow. “They said they didn’t have room for civilians. When I told them that Ted was immune, I said you either got all of us or none of us. He was our ticket to safety.”

“He isn’t your ticket to _anything_ ,” Missy says, anger making her voice shake. “We could have figured something out.”

“You saw how the guards mowed those things down. I was just trying to make sure you were safe,” Danny pleads, moving towards her. Missy takes a step back.

“Hey!” One of the guards suddenly yells, banging on the door. They all jump. “No rowdy behavior.”

“You have no idea what they have planned for Ted, now,” Liz hisses, poking Danny in the chest roughly. “Now that they know, he’s not safe.”

“They’ll only run some tests, they're not going to _kill_ him,” Danny argues lowly, rolling his eyes, and Ted squeezes Bill’s hand tight. “Stop overreacting.”

Liz’s lip curls and she huffs before stomping over to sit on her bed, and Jo follows. Bill tugs on Ted’s hand putting his other on Ted’s hip, and says, “C’mon dude, come sit down.”

“He’s not going to _die_ , Jesus Christ,” Danny says, exasperated, and tries to move towards Missy. “I was just trying to protect everyone.”

“Don’t,” Missy says shortly, and goes to sit next to Elizabeth.

It feels unreal, Ted thinks, the threat of danger shifting from the zombies outside to the humans inside. He can’t imagine being hurt by these people- they just want to make sure he’s safe for others to be around, right?

He says all this under his breath, and Bill shrugs, mouth twisting. “Probably, dude. They seem alright.”

“I wish we would have had more time to see what they’re really like, though,” Johanna says, sighing. “Y’know, to make sure it’s safe.”

They bum around the whole day, bored out of their minds, antsy and snappish by the time night falls. No one’s come to get them or spoken to them, other than to give them more rations, and all of Danny’s attempts to wheedle out more information have gone unanswered. Ted lays on the mattress once it finally gets dark, pressed up against Bill, and wonders what’s going to happen.

\---

The next day, they pull Ted out of the room again.

“Good morning,” The doctor says again, but this time, Ted’s tongue is caught with anxiety, stuck to the roof of his mouth. He smiles and bobs his head in a nod.

They take him to another room, one with less medical equipment and more couches, the wide windows showing a beautiful view over the trees and to the mountains. Ted’s never been to a mountain before.

“Ted,” The woman starts, and he looks back at her. “Your tests all came up negative, but if what you say is true, and you were bitten, you may hold the key to creating a vaccine.”

“No way?”

“Yes,” She agrees, smiling a little. Ted smiles back, hesitant. “Since your body was able to fight off the infection, it means that there has to be some instance of antibodies in your body, or _something_ that can cause you to come through that and live. You said you were very sick, when you were bitten, yes?”

“Yeah,” Ted replies, leg bouncing. “Most heinously.”

“What we’d like to do is run some more tests. Ideally, we’ll start with more samples, and then hopefully, we would like to re-infect you with dead strains of the virus and monitor how your body reacts, hopefully harnessing antibodies from your system as your fight off the infection.”

Ted blinks at her. “Uh. You want me to get bitten again?”

“No,” She says, raising her hands in front of her in a placating gesture. “We’ve sampled fluids from the infected to test, and through those have created a… vaccine, of sorts, containing the dead virus matter. But those who have volunteered for testing so far have had adverse reactions.”

“I don’t understand,” Ted says, mouth twisting. The woman sighs.

“Essentially, if you stay and volunteer to be a part of our testing, we can shelter and feed you and your family.”

“Oh,” Ted says, and then shrugs, smiling. “Alright.”

“Yes?” She asks, peering at his face, and he nods, grinning at her. “Okay. We’ll put you up in a tent nearby. You will have your own room in this building once testing actually begins, but it will take a couple of days to get everything set up.”

“Can Bill stay with me, when you’re doing your tests?” Ted asks, standing when she does.

“I don’t think so, Ted,” She smiles at him, and this time, it makes him feel a little weird, the way it doesn’t reach her eyes. “We wouldn’t want any outside variables in our experiment.”

“Uh- Okay,” Ted says, shrugging and ducking his head.

He’s led back to the rest of the group, and to their surprise, they’re all ushered out of the room and down towards the exit of the building.

“What’s going on, Ted?” Bill asks.

“They’re giving us our own tent, because I said I would get tested some more,” Ted explains, grinning. “And they’ll feed us, too.”

“That’s good,” Missy says, smiling at him, but doesn’t volunteer anything else.

They’re brought to a reasonably large sized tent, by tent standards, with bed rolls lined up inside for all six of them. The soldiers explain to them that they aren’t allowed outside the complex at any time, for their own safety, but they’re free to roam the courtyard. There’s a mess hall inside the building where they’ll take their meals, as well as a gym that’s used on a rotating schedule. All in all, it seems pretty nice.

“This isn’t bad,” Danny says, nudging one of the bedrolls with his foot. “I used to go camping as a kid- nothing wrong with roughing it, a bit.”

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten what’s gotten Ted into this mess,” Missy says, smiling demeanor forgotten once the soldiers had left. “Who knows what sort of things they’re going to put him through because of you.”

“Missy, it’s okay,” Ted volunteers, shrugging. “I wanna help.”

“See, he wants to help,” Danny says, gesturing at Ted.

“I’m going to go walk around and say hello to our neighbors,” Missy says, mouth twisting. “Girls, would you like to come with me?”

“Sure, Missy,” Liz says, and kisses Ted on the cheek as she passes. “Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Ted says easily.

“I guess I’ll go check out where the mess hall is,” Danny says, rolling his eyes. “Women, huh?”

Ted shrugs, and Bill huffs, crossing his arms. “Whatever, dude.”

Danny ducks out through the tent flap, and Bill huffs again when he leaves it open, zipping it up in his wake. He stands there for a second, hands on his hips, but when he hangs his head, Ted comes up behind him and wraps him up in a hug, squeezing tightly. He can’t help it, even though Bill had been distant all morning- the past month of growing affection between them makes him want to comfort with his touch.

“What's up?” Bill asks, putting his hands over Ted’s and leaning back into the embrace. “You okay, dude?”

“Did I do the right thing?” Ted asks softly. 

“You’re smart, dude, I trust you,” Bill responds. “If it seemed like the right thing, then it probably was.”

“They just said-” Ted sighs, pushing his nose into Bill’s hair. “They said that if I helped, that maybe they could find a vaccine, you know? And that they would feed you guys and give us this tent. It seemed okay.”

“Yeah,” Bill says, and wiggles until Ted lets go of him enough that he can turn, wrapping his arms around Ted’s waist. “It’ll be okay.”

Bill’s face is so close, looking up at Ted with those sleepy green eyes, brow drawn in and up as he smiles, and Ted wants to kiss him so desperately. He thinks of how the woman had said his test results were negative, all of them, and feels a swooping in his stomach when he realizes-

He can kiss Bill.

He thinks of how Bill had tried to kiss him in the dark under the covers, faces so close that their noses had brushed, how Bill wraps around him easily, like it’s nothing, how he melted back into Ted’s hug just now, open and welcoming. Ted thinks about how Bill had felt on top of him in the van that one time, the way his body feels tucked up against his back, the way he takes Ted’s hand and rests his head on Ted’s shoulder.

“Can I kiss you, dude?” Ted asks, so soft, ducking his head close so that their foreheads knock together. Bill’s eyes widen, and his arms tighten around Ted’s waist.

“But dude,” Bill breathes, eyes darting to the side for a second. “You said it wasn’t safe. It still isn’t.”

“The babe said my results were all negative,” Ted explains, looking at Bill’s mouth for a moment before pulling his eyes away. Bill’s cheeks are pink. “Everything dude. You were right- I can’t infect you.”

“Oh,” Bill says, recognition dawning on his face. “I thought you meant- y’know, with Danny around. The military. Like how your dad would always say shitty things.”

“Then we just have to kiss when we’re alone,” Ted giggles, and Bill laughs, a grin splitting his face. “Please, Bill.”

“Yeah,” Bill says, and leans up to press his mouth to Ted’s.

Bill’s lips are a little chapped, but the pressure behind them is so soft as he leans up, clutching at Ted’s hips. It makes Ted’s tummy flip, finally being able to kiss Bill after so long of wanting him, and he makes a happy noise as he gathers Bill close, opening his mouth a little to kiss him harder. He feels desperate, wanting to make sure that Bill knows he wants him, wants this, wants _everything_.

Bill makes a small little noise in the back of his throat when Ted presses closer, sliding his hands up Ted’s back, and opens his mouth to lick over Ted’s lip. Ted breathes out heavily through his nose, pressing his tongue against Bill’s just a little, the sounds of their mouths loud and wet in their empty tent.

“ _Ted,_ ” Bill says roughly, pulling away, and Ted nudges his nose against Bill’s, pressing another kiss to the corner of Bill’s mouth. “Dude.”

“Yeah?” Ted says, kissing Bill’s red cheek, the corner of his jaw. 

“We don’t know when they’re gonna come back, dude,” Bill says, but he pets his fingertips up under Ted’s sweaters and shirt, and Ted shivers, pressing against Bill’s front.

“Yeah,” Ted says, and shrugs, leaning back in to kiss Bill hard, cupping his face in his hands. Bill moans softly, sliding his hands up the back of Ted’s shirt to press flat against his back, and lets Ted lead him, opening his mouth when Ted licks over his lips. He wishes he had known he could kiss Bill back at the house, when they had a room to themselves, and moans when he thinks of how he could have pressed up against Bill, felt his body and his cock hot against him in their own bed.

Bill slides his hands down Ted’s back to grip his butt, squeezing, and Ted squeaks out a moan, cock chubbing up in his jeans. It’s been almost a week since he’s jerked off, and he feels like he’s on a hair trigger, with Bill pressed up against him like this, touching him and kissing him. Bill grins at him when Ted pulls back, lips red and wet with spit, and Ted can’t help it, he leans back down with a whine, kissing Bill for all he’s worth.

“I want you so bad, Bill,” Ted breathes when they pull apart again, rubbing his hands over Bill’s shoulders and down his back. “Wish we could be alone.”

“Me too,” Bill groans, squeezing Ted’s ass again. Ted takes in a sharp breath, pressing forward, and knows Bill feels where he’s getting hard in his jeans. “Love your body. Love just being near you.”

“Yeah,” Ted sighs, and tilts his head when Bill kisses his neck. “Just lay down a bit with me? We don’t have to do anything.”

Bill laughs, squeezing Ted’s butt one more time before letting go. “Yeah right, Ted. If you start kissing me I’m gonna want to touch you.”

Ted grins, face hot, and shrugs. “Yeah.”

They tug their bedrolls so they’re as close as possible and lay down facing each other, trading kisses as they wiggle and get comfortable. It feels so nice to lay here with Bill like this, after so long of doing it wanting him, to be able to have his body close and also kiss him. He hooks his thigh over Bill’s to get closer, wrapping his arms around him, but just kisses him sweetly, little pecks of their mouths.

“This is torture, dude,” Bill groans, rubbing his hand up Ted’s thigh over his jeans. 

Ted laughs, bright and happy, and lays back, looking at Bill. Bill’s watching him, smile playing across his lips, and looks just as pleased as Ted feels, happy and content.

They lay there for a while, just cuddling and exchanging kisses, reveling in being able to touch each other with intent. The sounds of the camp fade away around their tent, even though they’re in a pretty bustling spot, and both of them jump when the zipper pulls down loudly, sitting up.

“Oh, thank god you’re still here,” Missy breathes, ducking her head as she enters, and the babes follow close behind, zipping the tent up after them. “Where’s Danny?”

“He said he was gonna look around,” Bill volunteers, untangling his legs from Ted’s. “What’s going on, Missy?”

“Ted,” Missy says seriously, crouching down in front of him. “I don’t trust this place. I don’t think you should go through with the testing.”

“Why not, Missy?” Ted asks, a little curl of worry threading it’s way through his belly. Bill puts his hand on Ted’s where it’s resting on the bedroll.

“We talked to some people around the camp,” Liz explains, also sitting down close to them, Jo following. “It doesn’t seem as if they will have your best interests at heart.”

“What did the doctor tell you, when she explained what they would be doing?” Missy prompts, taking Ted’s free hand. He looks at her, confused, before furrowing his brow in thought.

“I didn’t understand a lot of it,” He starts, and sees the way that the babes all exchange glances. “But they said that if I did the testing, you could all stay here, and they’d feed you, and we could stay in this tent.”

“Try to remember, Ted,” Missy says beseechingly, and even though he doesn’t know why she would be worried, it still makes him try his hardest to remember what the babe had said.

“She said- that I didn’t have to get bitten again,” Ted starts, jiggling his leg. “That they were gonna put a dead virus in me, to infect me again and like… watch me, or something.”

“What?” Bill exclaims, eyes wide with shock when Ted looks at him. “They’re gonna make you sick, dude?”

“It wouldn’t make me sick if I already _was_ sick though, right?” Ted asks the group.

“We don’t know that, and I don’t think they do either,” Johanna says, eyebrows drawn. “What if you _do_ get sick again, Ted?”

“I mean, they won’t do it if they think I’ll… y’know, right?” Ted says, unable to finish his sentence. _Die_. What a foreign concept.

“Maybe, Ted,” Missy says, voice wobbling. “Some people we talked to said that a lot of times, people who go in that building don’t come back out.”

“ _Ted,_ ” Bill says, and his voice is anguished, like just the possibility is too much to fathom.

“But-” Ted starts, and has to swallow before he finishes, speaking so soft. “If I can help other people, by being tested on. Isn’t that good? I want- I want to help people.”

“Oh, Ted,” Missy says, and crawls forward to wrap her arms around him. “You sweet boy.”

“You can’t, Ted, no way,” Bill says, squeezing Ted’s hand so tight. “It doesn’t matter if you help people if you’re _dead_ , dude.”

“Yeah,” Ted says, and when Missy pulls away, Bill replaces her in Ted’s arms, burying his face in Ted’s neck as he hugs him. Ted clutches at his shirt.

“I can’t do this without you, Ted,” Bill says, so, so soft, just for Ted to hear. 

“Okay,” Ted says easily. As if there was any other way. “I won’t.”

\---

They make a plan while Danny is still away, knowing they can’t tell him if they want it to stay a secret. On their walk around, Missy saw that there was a side gate with only one guard, and the stretch of fence over there had been damaged, the barbed wire knocked out of place. If they got their duffels out of the car, Missy figured that she could distract the guard for long enough for them to get themselves over the fence and to the other side. 

Escaping seemed easy enough- the hard part would come after.

They only have Bill’s bat between them, shoved in his duffle with his clothes, and no food. On top of that, they’ll have to walk four miles in the dark with no map, just following the road, until they get to the checkpoint and the safety of their van. Ted thinks it doesn't sound too bad, but the fearful looks on Missy and the babe’s faces say otherwise.

“Don’t make noise,” Liz says, clutching Ted’s hands tightly. “Don’t speak unless necessary, and even then, try to whisper. Don’t step on anything loud, and stick to the road so you can see around you and they don’t sneak up on you.”

“Okay,” Ted says, trying to be serious. 

“They’ll come after you, once they realize you’re gone,” Missy says. “So even though it’s not safe to drive at night, try to drive a little, just to be further away from the complex before going to sleep.”

After they go over all the details, there’s nothing to do but wait. They file into the mess hall for dinner, being shot wary looks as they get their food, but Ted just tries to smile at whoever looks at him, like always. Bill charms his way to a second cookie, which he tucks in his pocket for later.

When they return to the tent, they try to nap in preparation for the lack of sleep they’ll be getting that night; even with the nervous anticipation, it still feels incredible to curl up next to Bill, knowing he can touch. Bill presses a kiss to the back of Ted’s neck, so soft, and it makes Ted’s stomach swoop with affection, playing with Bill’s fingers as he tries to relax enough to doze.

They grab their bags after dinner, double checking that the bat was still there, and had been pleasantly surprised to find the flashlight they picked up tucked in a side pocket. They air guitar, giggling, and find Liz and Jo watching them. They can’t speak immediately, but finally Missy pulls Danny out of the tent with her, saying she wants to take a walk and meet people- they all know, however, that it’s to figure out exactly what route to take to the ruined fence.

“We’ll miss you,” Jo whispers, once they’ve been gone for a couple minutes. “Please be careful.”

“We will,” Bill says, leaning forward to take her hand. Her lip wobbles, face twisting, and she tumbles forward to catch Bill in a tight hug.

Liz does the same, hugging Ted so close, like the first time they came from England to visit them, unsure when they would see each other next as they said goodbye at the airport. “I’m scared, Theodore, but I think this is right.”

“Yeah,” Ted says, and clutches at her.

“Where do you think we should go?” Bill asks, rubbing his thumb over Jo’s cheek to catch a tear. She smiles at him brightly, only a little shaky around the corners. 

“Maybe the beach? Ted seemed to like it,” She says with a wink, and Ted feels his face go red, ducking his head as he smiles. He feels Bill take his hand between them, rubbing his thumb over the back of it.

“You wanna go to the ocean, dude?” Bill asks softly, and Ted nods, turning his smile towards Bill. Bill looks pink too, but also smitten, affection written all across his face. He lifts Ted’s hand and presses a kiss to his knuckles, and Jo gasps.

“Did you two-” She cuts herself off, staring wildly between the two of them, and when Ted nods, she flaps her hands in front of her, letting out a little high pitched noise. Liz giggles, nudging her shoulder into Ted’s. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t say anything,” Liz says, mock accusing, and Ted laughs.

“It just happened today, Liz,” Ted replies, looking at Bill. “When I found out I couldn’t infect him, you know? For sure.”

“Of course,” Liz says, and pets her hand over his shoulder.

“You kept him waiting a while,” Jo says, nudging into Bill’s side, and Bill goes bright pink.

“No way?”

“ _Jo_ ,” Ted whiles, putting his hand over his hot face.

“Don’t tease them, Johanna,” Liz says, and Jo mimes zipping her lips shut, making Bill laugh even through his embarrassment. After a moment, she turns to Bill and pokes him gently in the chest. “Take care of him, Bill, I mean it.”

“I will,” Bill says immediately. “Don’t worry.”

“Bill’s always taken care of me, Liz,” Ted says, nudging into her side. “You don’t ever have to worry about that.”

“And Ted’s always taken care of me,” Bill says, eyeing Jo. “I know you were about to say something.”

“I want to fight for your honor,” Jo says, mock pouting, and crosses her arms. Bill laughs again, and Ted smiles. He loves Bill’s laugh.

It feels easy for them to relax in each other’s company the rest of the evening, curling up together and whispering, trying to get in as much time as possible. There’s the unspoken anticipation of what’s going to happen that night looming over them, but they don’t talk about it anymore. There’s nothing left to say.

Finally, the time comes.

It’s late, late enough that the camp is practically silent, only the whispering of the wind rustling the tents and the low chatter of some of the guards carrying through the air. When Ted rises from the bedroll, Bill at his side, he sees the faint light reflecting off of Liz and Jo’s eyes as they watch them leave. Missy climbs out of bed last, so she doesn’t disturb Danny more than necessary, and the three of them leave the tent as quietly as possible.

The moon is full, which is both a blessing and a curse, but luckily enough no one stops them on their way, cutting between tents and circling widely around the main building. Bill and Ted both silently hug Missy tight, and Ted is suddenly gripped by the need to make sure she’ll be okay.

“We’re going towards the ocean,” Ted breathes. “Come find us, after.”

Missy presses her finger to his lips and nods, kissing him on the cheek, and shoos them away towards the mangled fence.

“Excuse me?” Missy says, softly, calling to the man in the low guard tower, more of a platform than anything. “I’m sorry, but could you come down here for a moment?”

Ted holds his breath in the shadow of the row of tents nearby, listening intently, and feels the way Bill is tense beside him. Finally, there’s another voice. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“I don’t want to yell,” Missy says sweetly, and then there’s a shuffling pause before she says. “Oh, thank you, I didn’t want to wake people up.”

“That’s alright. What’s the problem?”

“Well, I was out using the facilities, and I noticed a disturbance, over there?” You can hear the way Missy is smiling in her voice, turning on the charm, and Bill and Ted exchange a glance, hoping the guard will go for it.

“Well, I can check it out. Let me walk you back to your tent, sweetheart. It’s not safe for you out here alone, even if we are inside the fence.”

“Oh, thank goodness I have you to keep me safe,” Missy simpers, and there’s the sound of footsteps. 

Their voices fade away, and then finally, it’s time for the two of them to move.

Ted pokes his head out to look up and down the row of tents, a large blank space between the shadow they hide in and the fence itself. There’s no one, not even a twitch of movement, and they readjust the straps of their duffels over their backs before moving forward as quickly and quietly as possible. 

Missy was right- the fence here is kind of wrecked, buckled in on itself and made easier to climb, like something was rammed into it. The barbed wire had come loose and is hanging off of the edge, easy to avoid if you climb correctly, and Bill laces his fingers together and squats, making it easy for Ted to put his foot in hand and be hoisted over the top.

The metal links rattle, but Ted’s already over, reaching to help pull Bill up as he climbs, and then they’re outs and in the woods, hearts pounding. They wait a moment in the dark, listening carefully for foe on both sides of the fence, but there’s only the sound of the wind.

Bill tugs his bat out of his bag, and Ted grabs the flashlight to have at the ready, and the two of them set off, keeping to the woods by about a hundred feet. They’re shrouded in shadow, but the lights of the complex are still bright enough that they can see, just a little, and it’s enough to get them circled around to the main road.

They stick to the woods until the complex is out of sight, and then cut over so they’re on the road again. The moonlight is bright enough that Ted doesn’t need to turn on the light, especially with their eyes adjusting, but it makes him feel better to have the weight of it in his hand, heavy duty and metal, something to fidget with as they walk quickly down the road. He wants to talk so badly, to break the silence with jokes and laughter, but he knows it could mean their death if he does, so he stays silent, only the sound of their feet on the tarmac breaking the silence of the night.

There are strange noises, every once in a while, things that two boys from the suburbs aren’t used to hearing, and every time Ted practically jumps out of his skin. They’re on high alert, keeping their ears pricked for any sound of pursuit or zombie lumbering from the shadows, heads turning as they watch the road ahead and behind, and the deadly dark forest on either side. They hear the rattling, bone-chilling moan of an infected carried on the wind at one point, but they don’t know where it came from, so they just keep walking and hope it’s not from ahead.

The four mile walk feels like it takes ages in the dark and silent night, and by the time they see the dark mass of the roadblock ahead of them, Ted feels exhausted, both from the extended physical activity and the late hour. He forces himself to stay focused and alert, almost to safety, and they’re practically there when Bill jerks him to the side roughly, pulling him to crouch behind a truck.

Ted’s about to ask what’s the matter, but Bill presses his hand to Ted’s mouth and points. Ted looks, and there, suddenly, is a zombie, shuffling mindlessly between the cars, making no noise but the faint brush of it’s rotten feet against the asphalt. Ted hadn’t even seen it, in the dark. He breathes out roughly over Bill’s fingers, and they watch it, trying to see if it’ll pass or if they have to find another way around.

Ted looks back at Bill after a moment, thinking of how he’s going to gesture to him to maybe suggest going around, but when he looks there’s movement from behind Bill’s tense shoulders, and then-

Jerking forward, a zombie, reaching out a mangled hand, face black and distorted with rot.

Ted lets out a startled noise, twisting out of Bill’s hands, but it’s too late for them to run. Bill’s head whips around, gasping, and Ted does the only thing he can do, as the creature jerks forward to grasp at Bill. He swings the flashlight as hard as he can.

It lands with a dull, strange _thok!_ in the creature’s head, but the sound of the body hitting into the truck is loud, and then there’s the rattling gasp of the thing they were hiding from, and others, rising around them.

“Run, dude,” Bill gasps, and they push themselves off the ground and around the truck, dancing out of the way of the thing between the cars. In the dark, it’s hard to remember where they left the van, but Bill tugs Ted’s hand as they run between the cars, feet pounding loudly as they pant. 

“Over here!” Ted cries, pointing as he spots the fluttering tarp they threw over their van, and then yells as he sees more of the things emerging from the shadows. Bill is panting beside him, clutching so tight at Ted’s hand, bat at the ready in the other.

“C’mon, the passenger’s side,” Bill says, and they run forward, Bill digging the keys out of his pocket to pass to Ted. “Unlock it, dude, I’ll keep them back.”

Ted nods and takes the keys, fumbling his flashlight under his arm as they get to the van, and yanks the tarp off the top to fling it onto a creature that emerges from behind a truck, pushing it away with all his might.

His hands are shaking, but he gets the key in the door and pulls it open, hearing Bill grunt with exertion behind him, followed closely by the dull thud of the bat hitting something fleshy and organic. Ted reaches out, tugging on the strap of Bill’s duffle, and cries, “Get in, get _in_ , Bill.”

Bill flops back onto the floor in front of the passenger's seat, trying to hoist himself up, and he kicks desperately at one of the infected as it reaches for him, yelling with the effort. Ted falls into the space between the seats, knocked off balance by Bill, but by the time he’s righted himself the door slams, and they’re safe in the van.

“Are you okay?” Ted pants, and Bill nods, swiping at his face. It’s almost pitch black, the van tucked in a shadow, and both of them jump as a loud thump rattles the van, and then another, and another.

“Drive, dude,” Bill says, pulling at Ted’s sweater to get him in the driver's seat. “Go, they’ll break the windows, _go!_ ”

Ted scrambles up in front of the wheel, duffle pressing awkwardly behind him, but he gets the key in the ignition and starts the van. It roars to life with no problem, but the headlights illuminate something horrific in front of them.

A wave of zombies, approaching slowly.

Ted makes a fearful noise, gripping the steering wheel tightly, and Bill says, “ _Go,_ go, Ted, fucking _drive_.”

“If I run them over the van’ll _stall_ , dude!”

“See, there?” Bill says, pointing, and like magic, Ted can see the gap. “Go, Ted, C’mon!”

Ted pushes his foot to the gas, and then they’re going, driving through the wave of zombies. Ted tries to avoid as many as he can without losing control of the van, but the dull thud of the van hitting into what was once a human body, the bump as he’s forced to run them over- he breathes, and focuses on not crashing. They’re alive, Bill’s _alive_ , he’s not going to ruin that by worrying about these things that want to kill them. Not now.

And then, they’re out.

Ted keeps driving, speeding away from the carnage, focusing on the road in the headlights. He jumps when Bill puts a hand on his shoulder, but finally lets his foot off the gas, rolling to a stop.

“You okay?” Bill asks, and Ted nods, turning into Bill to embrace him tightly. Bill clutches at him, still panting with adrenaline. “We made it, dude.”

“Yeah,” Ted says, and pulls back to press a hard kiss to Bill’s mouth. Bill makes a desperate noise against his lips, petting his fingers over Ted’s cheeks, and they just breathe for a second, mouths pressed together.

“I can drive, dude,” Bill says, and Ted nods, kissing Bill again, just to make sure he’s there.

They discard their duffels in the back and Bill digs some napkins out of the glove compartment to wipe the viscera off his bat, tossing them out the window; Ted feels wiped as he climbs back into the passenger's seat, adrenaline making him crash, but knows that Bill feels the same. He has to stay awake, for Bill, and curls up to offer moral support as Bill starts to drive again, hands firmly placed on the wheel.

They drive for a couple hours, not really aiming for anything other than ‘far away from where they came,’ but when it starts to rain they’re forced to stop, pulling behind a warehouse so the van is off the road. The rain makes it hard to hear, but they hope that the ambient noise of the drops on the building’s metal roof will disguise the sound of the rain on their car, and they crawl into the back, shedding their layers and laying on their mattress.

“I’m exhausted, dude,” Ted says, yawning widely.

“Me too,” Bill murmurs, tugging Ted close. “C’mere.”

Ted laughs, giddy in the face of his friend’s affection, and presses up against Bill. “Tomorrow, dude.”

“Tomorrow,” Bill sighs, and within the next breath, the two of them are asleep.

\---

When Ted wakes, the sun is high, streaming in through the front window and making the air in the van hot and a little humid. He sighs as he wakes, wiggling in Bill's arms, and makes a little noise when Bill grunts and pushes his hips forward, hand low on Ted's belly.

It feels so good to move against Bill, groggy and hot, after all that time of resisting. Bill tucks his hand up under Ted's shirt, petting over his skin, and Ted sighs again.

"Want you," Bill says, voice low and raspy from sleep, and Ted nods, pressing back against Bill. He grinds his ass against Bill's cock where it's chubbing up in his sweats, and Bill moans, soft and sweet against Ted's neck. He clutches at Ted’s belly, panting, and presses forward, sliding his hand over Ted’s skin.

They move against each other, wiggling and grinding, until Bill's cock is hard where it's tucked up in the space between Ted's ass and thighs, and he grunts with the next push of his hips, fingertips slipping under the waistband of Ted's underwear. Ted’s cock twitches, hard and pressing out against his briefs and sweats, arousal singing through him just from the feeling of Bill touching him, petting over his skin.

"C'mere," Ted says, tugging on Bill's arm as he wiggles onto his back. "On top of me."

"Yeah," Bill breathes, and nudges his knee between Ted's thighs, resting his weight on his elbows on either side of Ted's shoulders. He feels so good, like that night in the van, a warm and solid weight as he presses down against Ted, safe and secure. Ted slides his hands over Bill's back and down to clutch his hips, leaning up to catch his mouth in a kiss. 

Bill sighs through his nose, making a low noise in his throat, and cups the back of Ted’s neck to kiss him slow and deep, rolling his hips down as he sucks on Ted’s bottom lip, so hot. The feeling of Bill moving like this on top of him makes Ted shake, so turned on, loving that he gets to feel Bill’s body thrusts against him, chasing their pleasure together. Ted slides his hands up the wide, warm spread of Bill’s back and then down again, pressing his tongue into Bill’s mouth and grinding up, moaning.

“Been thinking about this,” Ted says as they pull apart, voice rough with pleasure, sliding his hands down to cup Bill’s ass as he rolls his hips down again. “You on top of me.”

“Yeah?” Bill asks, and Ted nods, hair fanning out against the pillow. He arches and bites his lip, moaning so soft when Bill pushes their cocks together again, hips twitching, and Bill presses his mouth to Ted’s neck with a groan. Ted makes a high noise when Bill sucks at his skin, teeth scraping, and brings a hand up to card through Bill’s curls as he leaves wet, open-mouthed kisses down his neck. They punctuate each roll of his hips, and Ted tilts his head to the side with a whine, panting.

They move against each other, rocking under the blankets until Ted’s desperate to come, hooking his leg over Bill’s hip. “Gonna, _uhn, Bill_.”

“C’mon, dude,” Bill pants, and leans back up to catch Ted’s mouth in a kiss. Ted can hardly kiss back, focusing on moving his hips against Bill’s, and soon they’re just panting against each other’s mouths, noses bumping. Bill presses a kiss to Ted’s cheek, the corner of his mouth, his bottom lip, and Ted arches his neck back with a moan as he shakes and comes, clutching at Bill as his hips twitch under his weight.

“So excellent, dude,” Bill breathes, and when Ted opens his eyes he finds Bill watching him, looking down at his face as he shifts and grinds against Ted’s hip, hooded eyes and red, wet mouth. “So hot.”

“Want you to come, too,” Ted pants, nudging his leg against Bill’s hip, and he slides his hands down to cup Bill’s butt again, squeezing and moving Bill’s hips down against his own. Bill moans, so gorgeous and high in the back of his throat, brow furrowing, and ruts up against Ted’s hip until he comes a moment later, shaking on top of Ted.

Ted slides his hands up Bill’s back, tucking them under Bill’s shirt as he rests more of his weight on Ted, nudging his nose against Ted’s neck as he comes down. They lay there for a while, just breathing and reveling in being together, Ted petting over Bill’s back as he presses little kisses to Ted’s skin, tucking his nose under his ear.

“They weren’t gonna let you see me,” Ted says, so soft, and Bill goes up onto his elbows to look at him.

“No way?” Bill’s eyes are still droopy with sleep and his orgasm, but he pets tenderly over Ted’s cheeks with his thumbs as Ted nods.

“Yes way, dude,” Ted replies, so soft. “I asked.”

“Well, now they can’t get you, Ted,” Bill says, and leans down to kiss him sweetly. They kiss for a minute, just the sounds of their mouths and breathing in the warm air of the van, when Ted’s stomach gurgles loudly, making them laugh into each other’s mouths. “Guess we should get going, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ted agrees, but leans back up to kiss Bill again, wanting to feel his smile against his lips.

\---

They change and clean up as best the can before pulling the book of maps down onto the mattress and figuring out their route. They don’t know _exactly_ where they are, but based on where they met up with Danny and the road they took to and from the roadblock, they figure out a general area they could be in, and decide to keep their eyes out for certain highway signs to guide them. Bill asks, so soft, if Ted still wants to go back to the ocean, and Ted nods, kissing Bill’s cheek.

They’re apprehensive as they begin to drive, leaving their cassettes in the box and checking the van’s mirrors often, but the longer they drive away from the military complex, the more relaxed they become. It seems as if they’ve made their escape.

“Do you think they’ll be alright?” Ted asks, and Bill nods.

“Yeah,” Bill says. “They’re smart.”

“Yeah,” Ted agrees, feeling a little better. Bill raises an eyebrow and smiles at him, and Ted grins back, reaching between the seats to nudge his knuckles into Bill’s arm.

They find a store after a while, surprisingly not too ransacked, and restock on food and water as well as they can; it’s not a lot, but if they keep their eyes peeled, surely they can scavenge more soon. Ted also grabs other things, including random stuff like twine and tape and garbage bags, jamming them into their van just in case. They also find spray-paint, and it causes Bill to have an idea, spraying a large W.S. on the side of the store, marking it. Ted's confused, for a moment, until Bill explains that if the others come after them, maybe they'll see the markings and try to follow. Bill even finds a bag of barbecue lays, like Ted had been craving weeks ago, and he crunches on them happily as they continue to drive.

They decide to leave California and go north to Oregon, thinking that maybe if they leave the state, they’ll be less likely to be found. They trace over the map, plotting their route on back roads and looping streets, spending the nights hidden behind abandoned buildings or tucked into the shadows at the side of the road, leaving small signs of themselves the whole way, painted on highway markers and storefronts. They touch often and kiss even more, curling up next to each other every night, and learn how to love each other in this new and special way.

\---

After a couple of days driving, loosely following their map, they see signs for a lake.

“Oh, Bill, we should stop!” Ted crows, grinning. “We can take a bath, dude.”

“Yeah, dude, you stink,” Bill laughs, and Ted shoves him without taking his eyes off the road, batting his hand blindly to his right until Bill giggles. “We can wash our clothes too. I ran out of clean underwear yesterday.”

“Maybe you should stop getting cum all over them,” Ted snickers, and Bill laughs. Ted glances at him to find his cheeks pink and sweet, looking at Ted. 

“Can’t help that you’re so hot, Ted,” Bill replies, and now it’s Ted’s turn to blush, belly full of butterflies.

The lake is up a winding road off the main stretch, and the closer they get the more the asphalt breaks, first into stones and then just into dirt. Ted grips the steering wheel tight and hopes no one hears them coming, the pines dark and foreboding on either side of the road. They both take a deep breath when the clearing opens up before them, incredibly beautiful, the grey sky reflected in the water like a sheet of glass, tall pines and a mountain cutting into the sky on the horizon.

“ _Whoa,_ ” They both whisper as the van rolls to a stop. They clamber out of the van, listening carefully around them, but when both of them hear and see nothing, Ted circles around to meet up with Bill on the other side, leaning into him as he wraps his arm around Ted’s waist.

“Glad we grabbed soap at that store,” Ted says, taking a joking sniff of Bill’s hair, and Bill laughs brightly, digging his fingers into Ted’s waist to tickle him.

They decide to wash their clothes first, rolling up their pants and wading down the silty bank to dunk everything and let it soak. Bill grabs the twine they had picked up at the store and creates a makeshift clothesline, tying it between the side mirror of the van and one of the stronger internal branches of a tree, sputtering and groaning about the pine needles as Ted giggles. Ted doesn’t really know what he’s doing, neither of them do, but they do the best they can with the bar of soap and scrubbing the clothes against one another, slipping in the sandy, rocky silt in the shallow water.

Once they have most of their clothes dripping on the line, they strip down on the bank, wrestling and kissing, and try not to yell too loudly as they jump in the cold water. They seem pretty alone out here, but the lake is huge, and sound carries for miles when you’re the only thing making noise. Bill’s bat rests on the shore, within easy reach, and the two of them wash the clothes they were wearing before beginning to clean themselves off.

Even though the water’s freezing, it still feels good to bathe, both of them a bit ripe and sticky with cum from fooling around the past couple of days, as much as they would try to wipe off after. Bill looks so good, wet and pink with cold, nipples hard as he shivers and dunks his head to get off the rest of the soap from washing his hair roughly.

“Don’t look, dude,” Bill jokes when he emerges. “My dick’s way bigger than this, I swear. It’s just the cold.”

“I dunno, dude, looks the same to me,” Ted laughs back, and Bill wades over to him to tickle him, body warm as they slide against each other and giggle as they wrestle. Bill clutches at Ted’s hips and leans up to kiss him, pressing their bodies together, and despite the cool temperature Ted’s cock still perks up where it’s pressed against Bill’s belly.

“Let me wash your hair, dude, then we can get out,” Bill murmurs, and Ted nods, squeaking as Bill squeezes his butt. 

Now that he’s gotten used to the water, it’s actually warmer to kneel in the rocky mud, water up to his chest, so that Bill can help him dunk his head and soap up his hair. Ted zones out, focusing on the way Bill scratches his fingernails against his scalp and rubs the bar of soap over his hair to lather it up, and soon he feels like he’s melting under Bill’s fingers, making small, happy noises as Bill pets over his ears or scratches the nape of his neck.

“You good, Ted?” Bill asks softly, and Ted nods, humming a bit, and looks up. Bill’s mouth is pink, like he’s been biting his lip, and he’s covered in goosebumps and little droplets of water all the way down to his cock, twitching and half hard despite the cold. 

“Not too small now, dude,” Ted says, blinking slowly, and when he grins dopily Bill grins back and laughs. “Does washing my hair really get you going?”

“You’re hot, dude. You keep making noises,” Bill responds begrudgingly, pink in the cheeks. “C’mon, dunk your head back.”

Bill holds onto the back of his neck to help him lean; Ted feels exposed and vulnerable as he arches his body to dunk his head, chin tilting up to expose his neck. Bill’s weight shifts as he goes to his knees in the water next to Ted with a splash, pressing his mouth to one of the sensitive hickeys he had sucked into Ted’s skin this morning, and Ted moans softly, shifting in Bill’s arms, shivering at the hot press of his tongue against chilled skin.

“C’mon, let’s get out,” Bill murmurs, kissing Ted’s jaw and biting his ear to make him whine. “Wanna suck you off, dude.”

“Yeah.” Ted’s voice is throaty, moaning the agreement more than speaking it. He dunks his head unceremoniously under the water, swishing the rest of the suds out, and they both climb out onto the bank, shivering. 

They have to use clean shirts to dry themselves off and are forced to dress so they don’t catch a chill, but soon they’re back in the van on their mattress, stripping each other of their clothes again under the blankets, clean and just a bit damp.

“Wanna suck you, too,” Ted says between kisses, and Bill nods with a groan, cock twitching and hot against Ted’s hip. 

They kiss for a while longer, naked and pressed up against each other under the covers, the feeling of Bill's body up against his own incredible and so hot. Ted loves the way Bill feels, the way he moves as he presses in to kiss Ted desperately, but also the tender way he sweeps Ted wet hair away from his cheek, chasing the water droplets down the line of his neck. He rubs the head of his cock against the line of Bill's hip, moaning as Bill sucks on his tongue, and then pulls back with a wet noise.

"Wanna," Ted gasps, and scoots down the mattress, kissing Bill's neck, his collar, his nipples and tummy until he's finally at the base of his cock, hard and resting against the line of his hip as he shifts onto his back.

"Want your mouth," Bill moans softly, cock flexing as Ted breathes, and moans again as Ted presses his face to the base of him, tongue coming out to lick the hot skin of his shaft. The blankets are pooled around Ted as he curls up at the bottom of the mattress, leaving Bill naked and exposed as he leans against the pillows, pink with his blush all the way down his neck and chest as he watches the way Ted licks over him. 

"Dude," Bill says suddenly, voice catching. "What if we, at the same time?"

"Like, sixty-nine?" Ted asks, and they grin at each other before air guitaring. He quickly shifts, maneuvering his long legs around the stuff packed in next to their mattress, and giggles as Bill catches his ankle and guides his legs into place, curled up on his side next to Bill. He presses a wet kiss to Bill’s hip, standing out as he turns slightly and shifts, and licks over his cockhead.

“ _Oh_ ,” Bill moans, breath hot as it washes over Ted’s cock, but Ted just leans in and sucks him, bringing his hand up to hold Bill steady as he licks over the head, caught between his lips.

He breathes sharply through his nose as Bill takes him in hand and licks over him too, the wet, plush feeling of his tongue so good, so _hot_. Ted makes a noise in the back of his throat as he bobs his head down, sucking as he pulls up, and Bill moans in return, thigh shaking near Ted’s cheek, and then his mouth is hot over Ted’s cockhead, so _good_.

They lick over each other for a minute, the sound of their mouths loud in the van, warm sunshine spilling in through the windows, but when Ted sucks hard and pets his tongue flat over the head of Bill’s cock, Bill pulls off with a gasp. Ted does it again, feeling the way Bill’s hand is squeezing his cock, moaning desperately, and just furrows his brow to concentrate, bobbing his head in time with his hand as Bill’s cock gets impossibly harder.

“Gonna come,” Bill grunts out, hand letting go of Ted to push his wet hair back, petting his thumb over Ted’s cheekbone, and Ted moans, knowing Bill is watching him. Bill tenses up, breathing tight, and his hand spasms on Ted’s hair as he comes, hips twitching as he moans little _ah, aah’s_ , high and overwhelmed. Ted chokes a little but swallows, sucking gently once it seems like Bill is done, and Bill shudders with a desperate noise before gently pushing Ted’s head away.

“ _Bill,_ ” Ted moans, voice thick, and Bill pants as he leans back over to put his mouth back on Ted’s cock, pulling his foreskin down to lick around the head. Ted rests his head on Bill’s thigh, looking down at the way Bill works over him, so flushed and glistening with sweat and lake water. His mouth feels so good, so hot, and combined with the way Bill’s pink mouth looks, the little flash of his tongue, the string of spit when Bill pulls off for a second to breathe, Ted’s close to coming soon, whining in the back of his throat as he clutches at Bill’s hip. “Gonna, _oh._ ”

Bill hums, fluttering his tongue over Ted’s cockhead as he jerks him in his fist, and that’s enough to make Ted come, curling in with a moan as Bill swallows and strokes him until he’s twitching. 

They lay there for a minute, panting, Bill pressing little kisses to Ted’s thigh, before Ted sits up and turns to put his feet at the right end of the mattress again, nudging his nose against Bill’s before kissing him. He licks over Bill’s lips with a happy hum, tasting himself and how raw Bill’s mouth must feel, red and swollen as he kisses Ted back fervently.

“Unrivaled, dude,” Ted says after they pull apart, pressing little kisses to Bill’s mouth. “Sixty-nining is a _most_ efficient method of love-making.”

“Next time, I wanna just watch you, though,” Bill says, pushing his thumb over Ted’s bottom lip. “I got distracted.”

“Yeah,” Ted replies roughly, and licks over the pad of Bill’s thumb. “You're really hot, dude. Your noises and stuff.”

“You too,” Bill says, but his face goes blotchy red with Ted’s compliment. Ted grins, pressing kisses to the corner of Bill’s mouth, his cheek, his jaw, until Bill is giggling under him.

\---

The next day, Ted is pulling down all their dried clothes, Bill inside the van repacking their duffels, when a twig snaps in the woods.

Ted freezes, listening, but before he can blink, there’s two people entering the clearing, a man and a woman. The man is older and looks like a hippie, grey hair tied back into a ponytail, and the woman is just a bit smaller, long hair in braids. In her hands is a hunting rifle.

“Ted, do you want me to just put all our shirts together?” Bill asks from inside the van, not able to see the two people. “I know you like to wear mine, dude, don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“Hey,” Ted says to the couple, raising his hand to wave. Bill pokes his head out of the van in confusion, smiling a little when he sees the new arrivals. 

“How’s it hanging?” Bill greets, climbing out of the van. He comes to stand at Ted’s side, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Didn’t expect to see anyone out here.”

“Neither did we,” The man says, smiling slightly. “We saw you from across the lake, and wanted to check you out.”

“You could see us from that far away?” Ted asks, raising his eyebrows. “ _Whoa_.”

“Your clothes are very bright,” The woman points out, and Ted looks down at the bundle of fabric in his arms, pinks and greens and yellows and purples all spilling over each other.

“I guess you’re right!” Ted agrees with a shrug and a grin. 

“I’m Bill,” Bill volunteers, taking a step forward. “Bill S. Preston, Esquire.”

“And I’m Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan,” Ted continues. “Sorry if this is your lake. We just wanted to wash our clothes.”

“This isn’t our lake,” The woman says with a laugh. “My name’s Mira.”

“I’m Rufus,” The older man says, and smiles kindly. “We just haven’t gotten many guests up here, other than the infected. Good to check things out, you know?”

“Yeah!” Ted agrees, nodding somberly. “The zombies are most heinous.”

“Are you with anyone else?” Mira asks, and Bill shakes his head.

“No, we were driving to the ocean,” Bill explains. “We had to leave the house my step-mom had in California because of looters, but we got separated from them.”

“Yeah, we ended up at a military complex, but they were bogus,” Ted continues, until Bill shoots him a look and a quiet _shut up, Ted_. “Bogus like- they wouldn’t give us extra food, and made us sleep on a most heinous bedroll. _Most_ uncomfortable.”

“There isn’t much military presence around here,” Mira says, raising an eyebrow. “You must have driven a long way.”

“Yeah, that was in California,” Bill says, but doesn’t elaborate. “Trust me, they were _most_ non-triumphant. You don’t wanna go there.”

“No, we have-” Mira pauses for a moment, looking at the man, and he tilts his head before nodding. “We have a little complex here, if you’d like to stay with us.”

“No way?” Ted asks, eyes wide. “You’d really let us?”

“You’d have to work,” Mira elaborates. “Everyone pulls their own weight. We’re trying to establish a sustainable community.”

“We’ve only ever worked at Pretzels n’ Cheese,” Bill replies, scratching his eyebrow nervously. “And we’re in a band- but if you teach us, we can learn. Right, Ted?”

“Right, Bill,” Ted agrees, nodding.

“Alright,” Rufus says, smiling. 

They draw a little map on a scrap of paper, showing how to drive around the lake to get to the group of cabins, and Rufus and Mira leave them to finish taking their clothes down off the clothesline, waving as they disappear back into the woods.

“Ted?” Bill asks, rubbing his fingers over the little piece of paper. Ted looks at him questioningly, pausing where he’s shoving the clothes back in their duffle bags.

“Yeah, Bill?”

“D’you think this is okay?”

“Yeah,” Ted says after a moment of thought, nodding. “I have a good feeling.”

“Alright,” Bill says, and puts the little piece of paper on the dash. “As long as we’re together, right?”

“Right,” Ted agrees happily, and leans in when Bill crawls over to kiss him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW// military stuff, the group undergoes non-invasive tests, Ted undergoes tests (non-detailed) but is mislead into agreeing to them, zombie violence (hitting zombies with weapons and a car) but no injuries to characters!


	4. Chapter 4

The complex isn’t exactly what Ted thought it would be, rolling down the bumpy dirt road, rocking in the van and hoping the suspension doesn’t give out.

When he thinks of a complex, he thinks of the military base they had been on- something set and rigid in place, foreboding and safe in equal measure. This place isn’t that, you can hardly even see it through the trees, but he figures it must be _safe_ at least, if people are trying to make it work.

They finally reach a fence and a gate, of sorts, where Rufus is waiting. The fence stretches into the woods on either side of the road, wood and metal and bits of fencing all creating a strange amalgamation of a wall, but it seems sturdy enough. Rufus waves at them, and motions Bill to roll down his window when they approach.

“You found us,” Rufus says with a smile, and Ted smiles back. 

“The map you drew us was most helpful,” Bill replies, and Ted waves it in his hand. “We would have missed this road, like we did the first time we drove by.”

“We like to avoid unwanted guests,” Rufus explains, and Bill nods in agreement. “We have a little cabin already free, though it is more towards the edge of our little camp. You can drive your van through and park right next to it.”

“ _Most_ convenient,” Ted says, bobbing his head.

“We like to keep the larger cabins available for families, just in case, and we figure no one wants to move once they’ve settled,” Rufus continues, leaning on the car door comfortably. “You’ll have to share a bed, though, if that’s alright with you.”

“Duder, already been happening,” Bill says, gesturing to the tiny twin in the back of the van. “No problem.”

“We kinda prefer it, anyway,” Ted says, words falling out without thinking, but even as Bill shoots him a look, Rufus just smiles.

“Great,” Rufus says, patting the car door. “No one’ll give you trouble, anyhow.”

“Oh,” Bill says, and Ted flushes.

Rufus gestures them through, saying that he’ll meet them at the cabin, and directs them towards the other side of the complex, saying they’ll have the one with the little horse over the door. The two of them air-guitar with a little _excellent!_ , and when Rufus gives them a confused look, Bill points out the Wyld Stallyns logo on the side of their van with a grin.

“Our band, dude!” Ted crows, and Rufus laughs.

“Seems like it’s destiny, huh?” 

Bill drives them carefully through the cabins as Ted peers around them, waving at people who peek out of doors or are walking from place to place, and though only some of them wave back, Ted still smiles at everyone. The cabins all seem quite small, except for one that Ted glimpses towards the lake through the trees, and are made out of logs, like something out of a storybook. 

“Reminds me of the cabin I used to go to as a kid, dude,” Bill says, offhand. “Y’know, the one my mom had?”

“I remember when you would go, dude, I was always most forlorn,” Ted says, thinking of the weeks Bill would disappear. Bill nudges his knuckles into Ted’s arm with a laugh.

“Yeah, but now it’s like we’re going together, dude,” Bill says.

“You’re right!” Ted laughs, and they wiggle their fingers together.

They finally find the cabin with the horse over the door, just a tiny thing on cinder blocks and stilts, and Bill carefully pulls the van into the space next to it, wheels padded by pine needles. When they climb out, Ted is struck by the scent of the trees and the fresh air, cool and clean, and takes a deep breath. Bill circles around to take Ted’s hand, squeezing, and looks up at him.

“Still good?” Bill asks, a little divot between his brows, and Ted nods, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips.

They climb the couple of steps to the covered porch and wait outside the cabin door, looking around, until Rufus shows up with a little wave.

“Look okay?” He asks, and both of them nod, smiling.

“It’s bigger than the van, dude,” Bill says with a laugh. “Way better than okay.”

Rufus points out the outdoor shower, attached to the side of the cabin, and the outhouses up on the hill, before opening the outer screen to get to the door. As he unlocks the door with a single key, the horse keychain taps against the wood, and he shoves the door open with a little effort. “This cabin hasn’t been used since last summer, so it’ll need some cleaning out.”

“Got nothing else to do,” Ted replies, and Rufus ushers them in with a wave of his hand.

They both gasp out a little _w_ _hoa_ when they walk in, peering around, and when Rufus goes over to the windows to pull open the curtains, streams of sunlight catch the dustmotes swirling through the air. The cabin itself is small, but the way things are arranged make it feel homey and bigger than it actually is- there’s a window on each of the side walls as well as next to the door, and a little wood stove sits in the far corner near a small couch. Opposite, a neatly made double bed sits against the wall, next to a little side table with a lamp, and at the foot there’s a bureau with a metal horse figurine on top. A small woven rug covers the wood floor, brightly colored once but faded with age and use, same as the curtains.

“ _Most_ excellent, Rufus,” Bill breathes, looking around.

“There’s some cleaning stuff down at the main cabin, if you want to come with me now and get it,” Rufus says, gesturing in the direction they drove from. “Maybe you can meet some people, too.”

“Sounds good, Rufus,” Ted says with a grin. Rufus hands the key to him with a smile, bearded face kind and open, and Ted feels a rush of happiness, knowing that this feels right. The horse keychain rests perfectly in his palm, a heavy, comforting weight, like it’s reminding them that they’re finally safe.

On the walk over, Rufus explains to them that this was his campground, before everything went to hell. It was supposed to be a retreat, for those who wanted to escape and reconnect with nature, and because of its remote location it became a place for his family and friends to run to when the city became unsafe. Since then, they’ve taken on a couple more people and families, but overall, they don’t run into too many folks.

“What about the zombies?” Bill asks as they lope along. 

“We don’t come across too many of them out here, either, but inevitably they’re drawn by the sound we make,” Rufus explains. “We just finished the fence last week, but before that, we had to be a lot more careful. Now we do daily perimeter checks, to make sure none of the things have gotten caught, or that they aren’t piling up on one part and weakening it.”

“What about the water?” Ted says, gesturing to the lake.

“No one’s tried to come at us by boat yet, zombie or otherwise,” Rufus jokes, and Ted giggles. “But we also have people who are on watch duty there, too.”

“You seem to have a _most_ comprehensive set up here, Rufus,” Bill compliments, nodding along. “What do you want us to do?”

“For now, you focus on your own place. I know how hard it is living in a van for weeks on end,” Rufus says, opening the door to the large cabin and waving them in ahead of him. “I used to be in a band too, you know.”

“No _way_ , Rufus, _excellent!_ ” Ted crows, and Rufus smiles. “You gotta jam with us sometime, dude.”

“Yes way, dudes,” Rufus replies, and opens a little closet, passing Bill and Ted a broom and dustpan, as well as some rags and a clear spray bottle. “Here you go. Trust me when I say you need to clean, mouse droppings are no joke.”

“You got it, dude,” Bill says, nodding.

“You missed lunch, but we all eat dinner together here, in the big cabin,” Rufus explains, waving his hand to encompass the room they’re standing in, and Bill and Ted finally look around. It’s a single big room, like their own cabin, but instead of a sleeping area it’s more of a lodge, long tables and benches to one side and a sitting area on the other. There’s also a couple bookshelves and-

“Is that a record player, dude?” Ted crows, and shakes his hands out. “No way!”

“We haven’t used it, because we only have limited gas for the generator, but yes,” Rufus says with a smile. “We used to be hooked up to the power grid, but that went out about two weeks ago.”

“Oh,” Ted says, but then brightens up again. “Well, if we ever use the generator, we have records, dude! Not too many, but, y’know. The good stuff.”

“I’m sure we can choose a special day to listen to some music,” Rufus says, and Ted believes him. He grins at Bill happily, and Bill smiles back, nudging into him.

There’s also a kitchen set up along the wall and open shelved cabinets stocked with cans and bags, and in the corner, an iron spiral staircase that travels to a loft at the front of the house, nestled in the overhang that creates the porch’s wide roof. It’s bordered by a little wooden fence of sorts, and while Ted is peering up at it, a child’s face appears, big eyes blinking down at the two of them. Ted smiles and waves, and both Bill and Rufus follow his gaze.

“That’s where me and my daughter Kelly sleep,” Rufus explains, smiling up at the girl, who sticks her tongue out at Ted. Ted sticks his tongue out at her in return, and Rufus raises his eyebrow at her. “So, understandably, this cabin is off limits after sundown, unless it’s an emergency.”

“Of course, duder,” Bill says, and waves at Kelly. She sticks her tongue out at him too before disappearing into the loft again, and Ted laughs.

“She’ll warm up to you, especially if you tell her you play guitar,” Rufus says quietly, leading them back out to the porch, and stops them as they make their way to walk back to their cabin. He points to a bell on the wall by the door, big and old and made of brass, darkened with age. “Now remember, this is very important: We ring that bell once for meal times, but we also ring it for trouble. Twice means that it's an infected in the camp, and three times means human trouble.”

“Have you ever had to ring it for anything other than meals?” Ted asks, hands tightening on the rags and spray bottle.

“Before the fence, we had to ring it for zombies a couple of times, but that meant that no one got hurt,” Rufus says, and puts his hands on both of their shoulders. “And we’ve never had to ring it three times. Relax, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Most astute,” Bill says, pursing his lips and nodding, and then grins. “Guess we should go clean, huh, dude?”

“See you at dinner,” Rufus says kindly, and pats them both before sending them on their way.

“I like him,” Ted says plainly as they walk back, nodding to himself.

“Me too, Ted,” Bill replies, and knocks his shoulder into Ted’s with a grin.

\---

They’re left alone for the afternoon, cleaning their little cabin together. It’s not in too rough a shape, but they do have to sweep up some mouse droppings and one sad little mouse, and by the time the sun starts to lower towards the horizon, they’re just finishing cleaning the floor, using the vinegary spray and rags to do what they can without a mop.

“Dude,” Bill breathes out, flopping back on the bed, and Ted flops next to him, the covers freshy shaken outside. Ted had sat down once they had returned from the big cabin, and had started sneezing due to the dust cloud that had risen off of the blanket.

“Feels good to do something,” Ted says, and Bill nods, turning on his side to wrap his arm around Ted’s waist.

“Feels good to lay in an actual bed,” Bill replies, smirking, and Ted laughs as he snuggles close.

“Wanna get some of our stuff from the van?” Ted asks after a moment of sweet kisses, reveling in being able to stretch out. 

“Too tired for all of it, dude,” Bill groans, but then punches one of the sad, flat pillows at the head of the bed. “But maybe our bed stuff and clothes?”

They carry armloads of stuff back into the cabin, leaving their duffels on the floor by the bureau and spreading out their blankets on the bed, topping it with the thin flannel one that was already there. They also toss the pillows on the couch, replacing them with their own; Ted flops back onto the bed and already feels better, smelling Bill on the pillowcase.

“One more thing, dude,” Bill says, and retreats back outside. Ted hears the slam of the van doors and then Bill’s footsteps on the porch, and he returns with their stallions blanket in his arms and a grin. “We’ll need nails to hang it up, but for now we can just put it on the couch.”

“Bodacious,” Ted replies, and flips onto his back to air-guitar with Bill once he spreads it out. The little cabin already feels more welcoming, the wood log walls warm and cozy, but when Bill kneels back down on the bed to lay with Ted, that’s what makes it feel the most like home.

\---

Dinner would be intimidating without Bill at his side, but with him, Ted finds it kind of fun.

Where the military complex’s mess hall was full of sideways glances and whispers, here they’re welcomed, albeit a little apprehensively. Everyone is subdued in the face of these two people they don’t know, but Ted gets it- he and Bill just need to show that they’re trustworthy.

They sit near Rufus, who waves them over. The kitchen in the big cabin wasn’t used to make this dinner, Rufus explains: there’s a large fire pit at the side of the house that they do all their cooking in, since they have no electricity or gas. They’re even thinking about getting some bricks on their next supplies run, to try to build some sort of oven, for bread. Ted doesn’t understand any of it, but it sounds exciting- better than just sitting around and waiting for something to happen to them, long days of nothingness interspersed by terror and anxiety.

Rufus’s daughter sits across from Ted at the table, and she stares at him throughout dinner, picking at her food. When Rufus turns to talk to the woman next to him, she sticks out her tongue at him again, but this time there’s a playful glint in her eye. Ted sticks his tongue out at her back.

“Daddy said you play guitar,” She says bluntly, breaking one of her crackers into tiny pieces. “Is that true?”

“Yeah,” Ted says with a nod, and feels Bill shift next to him. “We both do. We’re in a band.”

“Not anymore though, right?” She asks, and Ted exchanges a glance with Bill.

“No, we still are. It’s just us- we’re the band,” Bill explains.

“But don’t you need other instruments?” Kelly continues, staring them down. Ted shakes his head happily. 

“No way, little dude. If you make music with someone, that’s a band. Me and Bill have been in a band since we were your age, we just couldn’t play our instruments back then.” 

Kelly hums, sprinkling her cracker crumbs in her bowl of stew before mushing everything together. They all go back to eating for a couple minutes, listening to the other conversations, before Kelly pipes up again, “I wanna be in your band.”

“Alright,” Ted agrees easily. “That would be most triumphant. We need more members.”

“Cool,” Kelly says, and when she turns back to her soup, she has a pleased little smile on her face. When Ted turns to Bill to smile at him, he finds Bill looking at him with a sweet, affectionate look that makes Ted’s belly swoop with butterflies.

He’s still not used to the way he just gets to have Bill- he’s not sure he ever will be. But now, with safety and community so close at hand, he hopes that they’ll be able to enjoy being together without the fear. Their own little cabin, so similar to their apartment, is a good start. One of many good things, Ted hopes fervently.

They walk back to their cabin after dinner, twilight setting upon the camp, and they dig their flashlight out of the car to climb up the hill to the outhouses to do their business before turning in for the night. They joke about having to come out here in the middle of the night, and make mental notes to ask Rufus about it, if everyone has flashlights or if they use candles, or something.

The cabin itself is dark when they get back, no electricity to turn on the lamp on the bedside table, but they don’t mind. They brush their teeth on the front porch and strip down before crawling into bed together, Bill crowding Ted against the wall to press up against him and kiss him.

“Feels good to be somewhere safe,” Ted breathes against Bill’s mouth, hiking his leg over Bill’s hip, and kisses him back when Bill rocks against him.

“Yeah,” Bill murmurs, kissing over Ted’s jaw. “You’re so loud, dude, I’d always worry when we fooled around in the van.”

Ted swats at Bill’s shoulder at the teasing, but they both giggle until Bill sucks hard under Ted’s ear, making him moan. The bed creaks under them, but Ted kind of likes it, knowing they can make noise and not be in danger.

“You make me feel good,” Ted says breathlessly, voice catching as Bill sucks again, and when he pulls his mouth away with a wet noise, the patch of skin throbs. Ted shivers, pushing his cock against Bill’s hip. “You don’t want me to make noise?”

“I love your noises,” Bill says immediately, rocking with him and sliding his hands over Ted’s skin. “I like knowing I’m making you feel good.”

“Okay,” Ted says softly, and moans against Bill’s mouth as they meet for another desperate kiss.

\---

The next day, they stay after breakfast to help clean the dishes, and Rufus explains to them how they’ve been functioning as a community, and their plans for the future.

Everyone here pulls their own weight, he explains, and he’s sure that Bill and Ted will be able to contribute something, despite their supposed lack of skills. There’s only a couple people living here who actually have the detailed knowledge of the things that need to be done- everyone else was taught, or they’re studying books that they picked up from a local library on a supply run. Rufus hopes that with everyone working together, they’ll find a way not only to survive, but _thrive_ , and do it together.

Ted still feels nervous, unsure of what he could possibly contribute, and knows Bill feels the same by the way he shifts and presses his knuckles to Ted’s leg, a silent connection. Ted’s spent most of his life feeling like he wasn’t good at anything- not school, not work, not even music, for a long time. He’s not sure how he could possibly contribute anything, and when Rufus asks if they have any ideas, all of this spills out of Ted, unbidden in the face of Rufus’s kindness.

“Well, have you ever tried any sort of labor? Have you cut down wood for logs? Gardened with your parents?” Rufus prompts, and Bill and Ted look at each other as they think, before shaking their heads. They’re true suburban boys- that sort of thing just hadn’t come up. “Are you interested in helping with that sort of thing? Or would you rather be on something like watch duty?”

“Rufus, I have to admit that watch duty would be non-triumphant,” Ted replies, feeling downtrodden. “I had a _most_ difficult time paying attention in high school.”

“Let's see if we can find something for you to try around the camp, hm? We need to start another garden, since spring is coming, and Sheryl can’t handle it all on her own,” Rufus says kindly, and Ted nods.

“I always liked to build stuff in shop class,” Bill suggests, putting his hand behind his neck to tug at his curls as he thinks. “And I know some stuff about cars, since our van is a piece of junk.”

“Hey,” Ted says softly, pretending to be offended, and they grin at each other.

“Then let's try those things, to start,” Rufus says kindly. “How about that?”

The next week feels like it passes in the blink of an eye to Ted, learning how to garden and working under Sheryl, a kind, older woman that was Rufus’ neighbor before they all moved up here. She tells him about the big garden she had back at home, and the way she would bring her fruits and vegetables to neighbors houses to share when it was too much for just her. She even won a couple of county fairs for her pumpkins- needless to say, she knows what she’s talking about. Ted takes to her tutelage like a fish to water, surprising himself, but he enjoys the act of tilling the soil for planting, setting out the markers and wooden troughs to separate the different types of veggies, digging little holes to gently sprinkle the seeds in. He comes home dirty and sticky with sweat at the end of each day, but so does Bill, and they shower together at the side of their cabin. The water’s always cold, but Bill’s body is warm where they press together, running their hands over each other under the spray.

Bill also found he enjoys the work he’s set to, which Ted is happy about. There’s not much in the way of mechanics for him to do, but he does still learn about the couple of cars they have available in the camp, used for supply runs and emergencies. It helps him tune up their own van, and when he comes back inside, grinning and covered in grease, Ted can’t help but kiss him breathless.

He also is set to task repairing the wall when necessary, and reinforcing it, as well as other odd jobs and things needing to be made. He and Ted chop wood together when necessary, enjoying the simple task of creating something useful for the group, and Ted always feels good when he stretches out in bed at night, muscles aching pleasantly as Bill curls up against him.

Because of the sudden shift from sedentary life to labor, the two of them can hardly keep their eyes open once they get into bed, though Ted doesn’t mind. The deep sleep keeps any bad dreams at bay, and also any bad thoughts or worries. It’s enough to be able to sleep next to Bill in their own bed at the end of the day, in their own little room, trading kisses when they wake and before they sleep.

After a handful of days, the two of them wake later than normal, sun streaming through the faded curtains. Ted’s groggy and confused, wondering why the breakfast bell and the sounds of the camp didn’t wake him like they normally did, and he climbs out of the bed with a shiver to peer out the window, tugging on a sweater and some jeans to walk down to the next cabin, where he sees Mira sitting on the porch.

“Morning, Ted,” She calls, waving at him, and he waves back.

“Sorry we slept in,” Ted says roughly, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “Did we miss breakfast?”

“No, breakfast is later on Sundays, so people can rest. More like brunch, if anything,” She says with a smile. “You’ve got two hours yet, why don’t you curl back up with your honey.”

“You don’t need us for work?” Ted says, blushing at her words, and she just shakes her head, waving him off.

“No work on Sundays. Even if you don’t believe, it’s good to rest. That’s what Rufus says, and I think he’s right, most of the time.”

Ted nods, still feeling a little out of sorts from his strange wakeup, and walks back to his cabin after he waves goodbye, slipping in quietly just as Bill starts to shift, reaching out towards where Ted was minutes ago.

“Ted?” Bill asks groggily as Ted pulls his clothes back off, leaving them on the floor to slip back under the warm covers next to Bill. “What’s up, dude?”

“Nothin’,” Ted replies, pressing a kiss to Bill’s nose before turning so he can nestle up against Bill’s front again. “It’s Sunday- everyone rests and breakfast is later. We have two more hours, go back to sleep.”

Bill hums, wrapping his arm around Ted’s middle as he slides up against him, pressing close. “Missed touching you, dude.”

“Yeah,” Ted sighs, rubbing his hand over Bill’s forearm as he palms over his belly. Because of how tired they’ve been, there hasn’t been much time for them to fool around, so it feels nice to just press up against Bill like this, nothing pulling them out of their warm bed.

“Don’t wanna sleep,” Bill mumbles, pressing wet, slow kisses to Ted’s neck, rocking against him. “Wanna make love to you.”

Ted makes a tiny noise in his throat, tilting his head back so Bill has more room, and sighs as Bill pushes against him again, enjoying being pressed so close. “You sure you don't wanna sleep in?”

“Of course,” Bill says incredulously, and they both giggle, wiggling together until Bill slides his arm under Ted’s neck, going up on his elbow to lean over so they can kiss. “Why would I sleep if I could do stuff with you?”

Ted shrugs and grins, leaning back in for a kiss. It’s so slow, both of them still a little groggy, and the cabin is warm and comfortable- their own private, safe space. Bill rocks against Ted again, his hand sliding down to teasingly brush over Ted’s cock where it’s perking up in his briefs, just a light touch before sweeping his hand back up.

“What d’you wanna do?” Ted asks, tilting his head again as Bill moves across his cheek to his jaw, covering him in kisses. He presses his butt back, and Bill makes a gorgeous noise as he pushes forward, clutching at Ted’s hip.

“I wanna be inside you,” Bill says roughly, making Ted shiver. “But we don’t have lube, so I can’t.”

“Bogus,” Ted says, suddenly aching and desperate to have Bill touch him like that, opening him up and pushing inside him. He moans, and Bill clutches tighter at him, grunting as his hips push forward.

“You thinking about it?” Bill asks breathlessly, and Ted nods, rolling his hips back with a whine. The way they’re moving is like they’re making love already, their bodies grinding together, hot and sweaty under their blankets. Bill curls the arm that’s under Ted’s neck down across his chest, and palms over his pec, thumbing over his nipple through his t-shirt and squeezing.

“ _Uhn,_ want you,” Ted moans, reaching back to clutch at Bill’s hip to tug him forward. Bill’s cock pushes out hard and hot against the thin fabric of his boxers, and on the next thrust it slides down into the space below Ted’s ass, where his thighs are pressed together, pushing. “ _Oh_ , dude, fuck my thighs.”

“ _God,_ Ted,” Bill moans, hips jerking. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, c’mon,” Ted breathes, and pushes at the waistband of Bill’s boxers until Bill takes over and hooks his fingers in the elastic to pull them down. Ted pushes his own briefs down and goes up on his elbow to tug his shirt over his head, sick of having fabric between them, wanting to feel all of Bill against him.

“You’re so gorgeous, dude,” Bill says roughly, dragging his palm down Ted’s back, over his waist to his hip and then his ass, squeezing. Ted gasps, pushing back against Bill’s palm, and drops his head down with a moan when Bill drags his fingers down to pet over the sensitive skin where his butt meets his thighs. “You want me here?”

“Yeah,” Ted moans, and feels the wet tip of Bill’s cock push against his skin as his hips jerk. He turns his head to look at Bill, watching him spit onto his fingers and reach down to spread it on himself, and reaches back to pull Bill forward by his neck for a kiss. Bill comes easily, pushing his tongue against Ted’s as he holds him tight, fingertips wet as tugs Ted’s hip back to push his cock forward.

Ted tries to keep his thighs close and tight together, reaching up to hold Bill’s hand where it’s still on his chest, his free hand going back to Bill’s hip, and feels wrapped up and so safe in Bill’s arms like this, as close as they can possibly be. Bill moans against Ted’s mouth, pulling his hips back and pushing them forward again, and Ted just watches his face, the way his mouth drops open, the little furrow between his brow, the way his eyes squeeze shut in pleasure.

“Good?” Ted asks breathlessly, and Bill nods, pressing his face to the crook of Ted’s neck as he thrusts, holding tight to Ted’s hip and his hand. His cock is so hot and hard when it pushes between Ted’s thighs, sliding through spit and precum and sweat, so good.

“You feel most excellent, Ted,” Bill moans, panting out little _ah, ahn, nnh_ ’s with every push of his hips, making Ted shiver with arousal, loving the feeling of moving with him and making him feel good. “Wanna be inside you dude, wanna make you feel good.”

“Me too,” Ted responds, pressing his butt back, the sound of Bill's skin against his not enough, still so quiet in comparison to what it could be. “You wanna, like this?”

“Yeah,” Bill groans, kissing Ted’s neck, his shoulder. “Like this, or on your back, or on top of you, _ah_ , when you’re on your belly. Anything, dude.”

Ted slides the hand on Bill’s hip down to his ass, squeezing and tugging him forward, and Bill moans, desperate and overwhelmed sounding, his cock so hard against Ted as he thrusts. The next push of his hips makes his cock ride up and nudge behind Ted’s balls, rubbing over the soft skin behind them, and Ted moans at the feeling, a hot wash of pleasure rushing through him.

“Want you, too, like this,” Ted pants, squeezing Bill’s butt again. “Wanna be inside you, too, wanna show you how good you make me feel.”

Bill makes the sweetest sound and comes, sudden and so hot, cock sliding through his own cum as his hips jerk. The way he shakes, clutching at Ted’s hand and hip, feels incredible like always- Ted loves feeling Bill come, the way he shivers through it, his desperate noises and catching breaths, knowing that he feels good and that Ted made him feel that way.

Bill pants for a second, pulling his cock out from between Ted’s thighs with a little sensitive noise, and just presses his face to Ted’s neck as he comes down. Ted shifts, and when he rubs his thighs together he feels the way Bill’s cum slides against his skin, making them stick when he opens his legs. His own cock throbs, flexing at the vee of his hips, and he lets go of Bill’s ass to take himself in hand, feeling close already.

“Hold on,” Bill pants, putting his hand over Ted’s, squeezing his fingers. Ted loosens his grip and lets Bill take over, jerking him quick and fast to start, and Ted shivers and moans in Bill’s arms, hips twitching. Just when he feels his balls start to tighten, Bill lets go of him, leaving Ted to thrust into nothing but air.

“Bill?” Ted whines, turning slightly to look at him. “Wha?”

“Let me-” Bill grunts out, tugging Ted’s thigh over his hip as Ted settles on his back, and slides his hand down Ted’s leg to push his fingers through his own cum, scooping it up. “Can I touch you, dude? Not like- y’know, but-”

Bill slides his wet fingers down behind Ted’s balls, like a question, and Ted nods desperately. He takes himself back in hand, since Bill’s other arm is still under Ted’s neck, and spreads his legs so that Bill can touch him more easily. Bill groans, pressing his mouth to Ted’s skin, and pets over his hole, fingers sticky with his cum.

“God, the way you open your legs, dude,” Bill murmurs, sucking on Ted’s neck. “So hot.”

Ted’s hips twitch as Bill presses his fingers, massaging over him in little circles, such a strange, new feeling. It feels weird, at first, pulling him back a bit from his orgasm as he gets used to it, but soon all the feelings come together again, his hand on his own cock, Bill kissing his neck, the way Bill’s cock is wet against his hip, the heat of their skin under the covers, how steady Bill’s fingers are against his hole. When Bill pushes in just slightly Ted moans and rolls his hips, and Bill takes in a sharp breath, kissing Ted’s cheek.

“You want me to?” Bill asks, and Ted nods, hips twitching down.

“Feels good,” Ted pants, craning his neck to up catch Bill’s mouth in a desperate kiss. “‘m close, _Bill_.”

“C’mon,” Bill murmurs against Ted’s mouth, and pushes his finger carefully into Ted, the slide easy with his cum. Ted moans, jerking himself quickly, shivering in Bill’s arms, thigh shaking where it’s hooked over Bill’s hip. Bill pulls his finger out and pushes in, and then does it again, so sensitive and so _good_ , and when he pushes his thumb behind Ted’s balls, rubbing at the soft skin, Ted comes hard and sudden. He shakes through it with a moan, thighs twitching, and loves how Bill pulls him close, wanting to feel the way Ted’s body reacts to his pleasure.

“ _Bill_ ,” Ted says roughly, gasping as Bill slides his finger out gently, and when he reaches for Bill he comes easily, curling around Ted.

“Most outstanding, dude,” Bill murmurs, pressing kisses to Ted’s neck as they cuddle, and Ted kisses him back, anywhere he can reach.

“‘M glad we can make love,” Ted says softly after a moment, cheeks pink from both his orgasm and a touch of bashfulness in the wake of their intimacy. “I’m glad I got those tests.”

“Me too,” Bill says, kissing Ted and holding him close. “My most excellent companion.”

They lay in the warmth of their bed for a while, trading kisses and talking, reveling in being able to relax and wake up slowly, just touching each other. Bill keeps his hand low on Ted’s belly, just stroking over his skin, and Ted is reminded of way back when they had slept outside of Danny’s house, and Bill had slipped his hand up under Ted’s shirt, both a comfort and a tease, when Ted wasn’t sure what he wanted yet.

The breakfast bell rings after a while, and the two of them are forced to get up, Bill nipping out to wet a rag in the shower for them to wipe off before getting dressed. Ted’s thighs still feel a bit raw from Bill rubbing against them, and when he spreads his legs to clean himself Bill crawls between them to press a kiss to Ted’s skin, making him gasp.

“Dude,” Ted says breathlessly, but doesn’t stop Bill, watching him as he presses lingering kiss after kiss to his thigh before pulling back, eyes dragging over Ted’s body.

“Sorry, couldn’t help it,” Bill says with a grin, ears pink, and he looks so handsome that Ted has to lean up to kiss him.

They’re late to breakfast.

\---

Once Ted has learned enough and helped Sheryl set up her own large garden plot, he turns to creating his own, tucked up next to their own little cabin.

Bill helps him clear the area of rocks and tree branches, and then they both till the land together, the backbreaking labor turning into something not so bad with Bill by his side. Because of the pine trees, the needles and underbrush need to be cleared away before the soil can be properly dealt with, but by the end of the second week, Ted has his own plot, ready to be organized and planted to his desire.

“Most excellent, dude,” Bill says, pressing a kiss to Ted’s shoulder, and Ted feels a warm wash of pleasure at Bill’s words, knowing that he’s proud of Ted in the same way that Ted is proud of Bill.

Bill’s been working hard on other projects too, while Ted has been planning his garden, and has been learning how to fix the roofing tiles to stop a leak. Ted practically has a heart attack when he sees Bill sitting up there, working away, but knows that Bill’s always been more sure of foot that he is, and trusts he won’t fall.

Ted’s about ready to start planting, having gathered all his seeds from Sheryl and used twine and sticks to map out his plans for the little plot; he talks about it to Bill at dinner, explaining his plans as well as he can without a diagram, and when he looks up Bill is watching him with a soppy, affectionate look, cheek resting in his hand.

“What?” Ted asks, face going a bit hot, and Bill just shrugs.

“Nothin’,” Bill responds, but Ted feels his tummy flip, as if Bill had said something else.

Ted wakes up bright and early on Saturday, excited to plant and work on his garden, only to find that it had begun to rain in the night. The way the droplets patter on the roof is soothing, but he still feels disappointed that he won’t be able to get the work he wanted to finish done today.

There’s still a lot to be done, even in the rain- covering the firewood so it doesn’t get damp, or moving it into people’s cabins for use in their stoves, setting up the tarp they use over the firepit used to cook their meals, securing the walls and making sure those on watch duty don’t get too chilled. Ted and Bill are on wood duty, making sure everyone has enough to keep them warm, but even after lunch the rain hasn’t let up, and they return to their own cabin to get warm and dry, starting their own oven and curling up on the couch, laying out their damp clothes on the wood floor.

They end up braving the rain to grab their guitars from the van, giggling in just their underwear and shoes as they pull the doors open, and Ted is surprised that the van seems so much less like home now, small and cramped in comparison to their warm cabin. He’ll always have a special place in his heart for it, of course, but to have such a special place for him and Bill… he wouldn’t want to give it up for anything.

The rain doesn’t stop, getting heavier as the day progresses, and by dinner it’s even a struggle to get the food cooked. They’re forced to have some things cold, reminding Ted of the days in the van, and talk at the dinner table turns to building a covered fireplace of sorts, to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Ted listens quietly, not really having much to contribute, but is surprised when Bill pipes up to suggest things in regards to building, already taking like a fish to water to his new role in the group.

The bad weather continues all weekend, keeping everyone in their cabins. After mealtimes some people stay in the big cabin, and Bill and Ted bring over some of their comics to share, curling up on the couches with some of the younger folks to relax and read. In the end, though, they end up back in their own tiny cabin, and lay in bed after making love, cuddling and petting over each other’s skin. Ted’s laying on his back, staring at the way the nails are coming through the boards of the roof, arm around Bill’s shoulders.

“Do you think Missy and the babes are okay?” Ted asks softly after they’ve been silent a while, thoughts turning dreary and aimless with the rain and lack of things to do. The busy pace and relief of being safe has kept them both pretty positive, but now, with a day undirected and cold, Ted can’t help but wonder.

“They’re pretty smart, dude, I’m sure they’re okay,” Bill replies, cheek resting on Ted’s shoulder as he lays on his side. It feels nice to have Bill curled up against him, a warm, solid comfort. “Are you worried?”

“Yeah,” Ted says honestly. “We didn’t go to the ocean like we said, dude. What if they can’t find us if they need help?”

“Yeah,” Bill murmurs, and they lay there thinking for a moment. Ted thinks about his dad, suddenly, and then his little brother, and gets choked up.

“What if Deacon’s-” Ted blurts out, but cuts himself off and doesn’t finish, pressing his forearm to his eyes. Bill goes up onto his elbow, curling his arm around Ted’s waist to squeeze him tight.

“Hey, dude, hey,” Bill says softly, shaking him. “I’m sure he’s okay. He said he was with his friend’s family, right? At least he’s not alone.”

Ted nods, face twisting as his eyes sting. He squeezes Bill’s shoulders tight when Bill hugs him close. “My dad, though- I never-”

“Yeah,” Bill says, and nudges his nose under Ted’s jaw as they cling to each other. It’s such a weird concept, that his dad is probably dead- Ted can hardly think about it. It doesn’t even seem real.

“I’m worried about my dad, too,” Bill says softly, and Ted can feel the way Bill is blinking more than normal, eyelashes fluttering against his skin. “But he’s in New Mexico with my aunt, dude. There’s a lot of them on that ranch, so maybe they found a place like this.”

“Yeah,” Ted says, and finally turns on his side to wrap his arms more fully around Bill, holding him close. “I’m glad- It’s most excellent that we’re together, Bill.”

“Yeah,” Bill replies, and squeezes Ted so tight.

\---

The rain finally lets up after a couple more days, and Ted leaves the cabin to find his well laid out plot washed away. It’s frustrating, to see all that hard work go to waste, so he lets himself crawl back into bed with Bill, tucking himself into his arms.

“Ted?” Bill murmurs, but Ted doesn’t say anything, just nudging his face into the little space under Bill’s chin, curling his arms against his chest. “Wass’up, dude?”

“My garden got most odiously destroyed,” Ted says in a tiny voice, pressing closer.

“Awh, bogus, Ted,” Bill says softly, petting his hands over Ted’s back. “It’ll be okay, dude, I’ll help you fix it.”

Ted just shrugs, sighing heavily. “It’ll just happen again, the next time it rains.”

They lay there for a little longer until the breakfast bell rings, and then get dressed and make their way to the main cabin. To Ted’s surprise, Bill takes his hand on the walk over, lacing their fingers together, and even Ted’s bummed out mood can’t dampen the fluttering of butterflies in his tummy at Bill’s overt touch. He looks at Bill, feeling like all his emotions are playing over his face, and Bill smiles back as he squeezes his hand, bumping into Ted gently.

“Let’s talk to Rufus,” Bill suggests, opening the door for the both of them. “Maybe he’ll have an idea, dude.”

It turns out that Bill’s mentor of sorts, Ed, is the one who gives them the most help. He’s the one who Bill has been working with on all the building projects, and he sketches out a little diagram on a scrap of paper once he listens to Ted’s woes, thinking about how they can direct the flow of rainwater around Ted’s garden. Bill listens intently, asking questions about execution, and once breakfast is over, Ted’s surprised to see Bill set to work on building the little fence and gutter system, grabbing the supplies and tools to begin.

“Dude, you don’t have to,” Ted says, swallowing thickly, feeling like his emotions are going to choke him. “There’s other stuff- there has to be, right?”

“No way, dude,” Bill says, laying out the wood planks to nail together, and grins up at Ted where he’s standing to the side. “Your garden is most important.”

Ted just stands there, feeling his overwhelming love for his friend wash through him, and crouches beside Bill after a moment to wrap his arms tightly around him. Bill laughs, going pink, but still hugs Ted back, tilting his head up for Ted’s desperate kiss.

\---

Ted works on cleaning his plot off again and tills the land while Bill works on his project, and by the end of the week, the two of them have re-created Ted’s space, ready to be planted and safe from future rain. Bill even helps him re-string the twine as markers, and build a little raised bed for certain veggies that are invasive, like squash. Ted feels exhausted but even more pleased when he looks at it all laid out in front of them, happy that they made it together. 

Bill wraps his arm around Ted’s waist as they rest for a moment, and Ted wraps his arm around Bill’s shoulders, feeling so happy- a different sort of happy than he’s been feeling, diffusing outward from his heart to fill his limbs with a bright feeling, like he’s swallowed sunshine.

“Love you,” Ted says softly, unable to help himself, and Bill pulls away enough that he can look up at Ted, wide eyed.

“No way?” He asks, sounding shocked, and Ted grins, nodding.

“Yes way, dude,” Ted replies, and Bill’s surprise gives way to the most tender look Ted’s ever received, like he’s slipping into warm honey. The sun, where it streams in through the trees, turns Bill’s curls to gold.

“Love you, too,” Bill says finally, so soft, and puts his hand to Ted’s cheek to pull him down for a kiss, the two of them giggling and giddy. When their lips meet, their laughter hums between their lips, as sweet as can be.

\---

The group runs supply runs every week, slowly working their way through neighboring towns to grab whatever’s left- anything from plastic to building materials to food to books. People are allowed to request things to keep an eye out for, just in case, like a toy or an article of clothing, but Ted goes up to Mira before she leaves with something else in mind.

“Hey, Ted, you want me to grab you something?” Mira asks with a smile, and Ted nods, grinning at her even though he feels his cheeks starting to get hot.

“I was wondering-” Ted glances around and lowers his voice, hiding behind his bangs. “Could you- if you find- lube? Or Vaseline?”

Mira laughs and claps him on the shoulder, but when Ted glances at her, he can see that she’s only teasing. “Oh, honey, you’ve been without this whole time?”

Ted nods, blushing so hard, but her ribbing makes him want to giggle too at the absurdity of it. “You’ll look?”

“Of course I will, Ted, that’s so sad,” Mira jokes, squeezing his arm, and Ted finally laughs a little.

Bill’s peeling potatoes by the firepit when Ted is done thanking her, and when Ted sits next to him, he leans over just a bit, knocking their shoulders together.

“What’s up?” Bill asks, raising an eyebrow, but Ted just grins and shrugs. Bill scoffs a little and rolls his eyes when Ted won’t tell him, but when he flicks a potato peel at Ted, he knows that Bill doesn’t mind.

Ted goes to work with Sheryl in her garden that afternoon while Mira is away, the sun hot on his head as they dig together, weeding and planting seeds. She’s very pleasant to work with, her long grey braid swinging as she leans forward, hands steady as she carefully plants the seeds, and her voice is always kind when she tells Ted what to do. The weather is beautiful, the sky a clear blue and the temperature warm, a welcome change after such a miserable weekend.

Ted rolls up his sleeves after a while, sweating, and doesn’t realize what he’s done until Sheryl puts careful fingers on his forearm.

“Ted, what’s this?” She asks, voice so kind, but Ted still freezes, the blood in his veins turned to ice.

“Uh,” Ted stutters out, yanking the sleeve down. “Nothing, just. I got bitten... by a dog?”

The way his voice tilts up at the end gives him away, as well as his body language and expression, and Sherly just gives him a look like she can see right through him. To Ted’s surprise, however, all she does is go back to her gardening, braid swinging over her shoulder.

“You need to be careful, sweetheart,” Sheryl says softly, gently patting down the wet earth over her newly dug hole. Ted gets choked feeling, the adrenaline rushing through him warring with her soft tone.

“I know,” Ted rushes out. “We- me and Bill-”

“You don’t need to explain to me,” Sheryl says, moving onto her next spot of ground, digging her trowel in. “Mira told me you boys came from a military complex before this. I always assumed it was because of your relationship, of course.”

“Yeah,” Ted says, and realizes he has his hand clamped tight over his forearm, over where the bite is. It’s fully healed now, even starting to fade a little, but he still can feel the phantom pain from time to time. Finally, he rushes out, soft and almost frantic, “I was bitten, Sheryl. You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“I won’t,” Sheryl says, and finally looks at him. “But you will. Rufus needs to know.”

“But-” Ted tries to cut in, eyes wide, but she waves her hand at him and keeps speaking.

“He’s not going to turn you away, or send you back,” Sheryl says, and there must be something in Ted’s expression, because she smiles at him and puts her hand over his, on his arm. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to worry. He just needs to know, just in case.”

“Just in case of what?” Ted asks, thinking of the way he worried about turning and hurting Bill.

“In case someone comes looking for you,” Sheryl says seriously, squeezing his hand before letting go. Ted goes cold all over at the thought, being dragged back, Bill unable to see him- losing this special life they’re building for themselves. “He needs to know, so we can keep you safe.”

Ted feels like he can’t speak, thoughts swirling around, so he just nods and ducks his head. They go back to working, but Ted feels tense and hot as the sun beats down on his dark hair, face flushed and sweaty, thinking of Bill, and how everything they have could be taken from him in an instant.

“Why don’t you take a break, Ted,” Sheryl finally says after catching him zoning out, pushing the dirt aimlessly with his hands.

“Alright,” Ted says with a nod, and gets up, brushing his hands off on his pants as he sways, lightheaded. He rushes off, stumbling over his own feet, and finds Bill chopping wood; they used a lot during the cold, rainy weekend, keeping everyone warm and dry.

“Hey, dude, how’s it hanging?” Bill says, leaning on his ax and wiping his sweaty forehead, but as Ted comes forward he sways and stumbles, hearing a rushing noise in his ears. “Whoa, Ted, you okay?”

Ted’s knees give out and he dry heaves, feeling Bill catch him by the arms, and he pushes his face into Bill’s neck with a tiny noise feeling the cool dirt under his fingers as they collapse together to the ground, Bill unable to keep his weight up.

“ _Ted,_ ” Bill says loudly, squeezing his arms. “You’re burning up, dude. Harry!”

Ted wants to ask why Bill’s calling him hairy, but his tongue feels thick in his mouth, so he just focuses on not throwing up all over Bill, incredibly lightheaded. Bill’s hand is cool on Ted’s forehead, but Ted still groans, stomach turning, as someone else comes over to push his hair out of his eyes.

“He’s hot, dude,” Bill says, and Ted cracks his eyes open to see Bill’s nervous face looking down at him, along with some others.

“What was he doing?”

“He was gardening with Sheryl,” Bill says, voice shaking, and Ted wants to pat his arm to reassure him. He feels a heavy hand on the top of his head and another wave of vertigo washes through him, making him groan.

“It’s just heatstroke, Bill, don’t you worry,” A man’s voice says. “Feel how hot his head is? Let’s get him to the lake to cool him off.”

Ted dry heaves a couple more times as he’s hoisted between two people and helped down to the shore. He’s laid down on the ground, something soft pillowing his head, and then there’s cold water pouring over his scalp. He sighs, glad to not be moving anymore, and eventually someone helps him lean up to drink from a water bottle; lying down, he feels a lot better, and soon the bad feelings pass.

“Feeling better, dude?” Bill asks, leaning over him, and Ted realizes that he has his head in Bill’s lap. He feels so out of it that he can't even tease Bill for how wet his shorts are, a casualty of cooling Ted off.

“Yeah,” Ted says roughly. “That was _most_ odious, dude. I’ve never felt like that before.”

“Just run-of-the-mill heatstroke,” Harry says, who Ted now recognizes as the mechanic Bill works with. “You gotta make sure you’re drinking enough water while you’re working in the sun, Ted.”

“Sorry,” Ted says, feeling chastised, but Harry just smiles and pats him on the shoulder.

“Don’t apologize to me, son,” Harry laughs. “We were just worried about you.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Bill says, helping Ted sit up with gentle hands.

“No problem,” Harry says, standing and wiping the seat of his pants off. “Ted, I’d take it easy for the rest of the day. Maybe have a lie down, or just relax in the shade. You two work too hard.”

Ted waves as Harry leaves them by the shore, and Bill pushes Ted’s wet hair out of his face, cupping his cheek.

“How’re you feeling?” Bill asks, so soft, and Ted smiles, leaning into his palm.

“Better now,” Ted says, and Bill leans in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. He suddenly remembers what he had come to tell Bill, and pulls back. “ _Oh,_ Bill, Sheryl saw my bite.”

“What?” Bill asks, eyes wide, and Ted nods.

“I was hot, so I rolled up my sleeves,” Ted says softly, swallowing. “She said I have to tell Rufus, but that- he won’t care. It’s just in case something happens.”

“Like what?”

“Like if someone comes _looking_ for us,” Ted says, fear of the concept making his voice shake. “Do you think they will?”

“I dunno, dude,” Bill says, but the furrow between his brow is deep as he thinks about it. He crosses his arms, and Ted curls up to rest his cheek on his knee, wrapping his arms around his legs. “They could, I guess. But how would they find us?”

“I dunno,” Ted parrots, shrugging. Bill sighs, messing with his cap, and leans in to kiss the knob of Ted’s shoulder.

“Let’s go tell Rufus,” Bill says softly, and Ted leans in to catch his mouth in a kiss. They linger there for a moment, just a press of lips on lips, and when they pull away Ted keeps his forehead against Bill’s for a minute.

Rufus is sitting on the porch with Kelly, reading together, and Bill takes Ted’s hand to squeeze before they come up and ask to speak with him. Ted feels nervous, but it's for nothing- Sheryl was right. Rufus just speaks to them calmly, listening to Ted’s story about being bitten, how the military took them in, how they said they would help and then tied their safety to Ted agreeing to be tested. Bill chimes in then, when Ted doesn’t fully explain, sounding upset as he talks about how they were going to re-infect Ted, make him so heinously sick after he had already been through it once.

Rufus agrees that it had been smart of them to run- and also that it was smart that they told him about Ted. Ted feels so relieved and knows Bill does too from the way he breathes out a heavy sigh and squeezes Ted’s hand.

“Oh, also Rufus,” Bill chimes up as they go to leave. “Do you know if anyone has a hat for Ted? He suffered from a most non- _non_ -heinous case of heatstroke just now because of gardening.”

“I have one!” Kelly pipes up. “It was mom’s, but it’s too big on me. You can borrow it if you want.”

“That would be _most_ excellent, little dude,” Ted says with a grin, and Kelly smiles back at him before running off inside the cabin.

“She’s really taken a shine to you,” Rufus says, raising an eyebrow, and Ted shrugs bashfully, ducking his head with a smile. When Kelly offers him the hat solemnly, making him pinky swear that he’ll give it back if she asks, he feels that warm, happy feeling fill him again, knowing that he and Bill are safe here, and that people care for them. 

He looks at Bill with a wide grin, showing off his hat, and Bill laughs, looking at Ted with that affectionate look that makes Ted’s tummy flip. They wave to Rufus and Kelly before heading off towards their cabin, Bill insisting Ted rest for a while; Ted can’t even argue, reveling in the way Bill holds his hand the whole way there.

\---

They’ve begun to settle into their roles in the camp, and without noticing it, their one month anniversary comes and goes. Instead of counting the days passing, Ted marks the time in the calluses on his hands, the strength in his arms as he carries a bundle of logs, the way Bill’s gotten lean with muscle, the freckles Bill kisses that are splattered across his nose and the length of their hair curling at their necks. Bill starts to have to wear his cap the right way round, for once, as the sun gets more likely to burn his nose red, and Ted turns brown as a nut, finally able to wear t-shirts and tank tops since he no longer has to hide his scar.

Ted also marks the passage of time by how Bill learns to make Ted feel good, and how Ted learns the same for Bill. They teach and learn equally, and after just only a month, Bill knows exactly what to do to make Ted shake apart under him. Time could also be measured by the way Bill takes care of Ted and how Ted does the same for Bill, but that’s nothing different- they’ve always cared for each other.

Ted wakes one day after that first month has passed, curled up around Bill, and goes out to check his garden before breakfast. He’s greeted by little green leaves when he checks the soil, and crows excitedly to Bill when he rushes back inside to wake him, tugging him out to show him the tiny shoots in just his boxers. Bill kisses him so sweetly, holding him close, that Ted feels hot and flushed once Bill pulls back, so much love and affection in just a single press of lips.

Funnily enough, Mira finally finds them some lube on the supply run later that day. They’ve had to make do with hands and mouths and spit, but Ted is aching for Bill to be inside him and for him to do so in return, a finger or two slick with spit or cum no longer scratching the itch. Ted never realized that it would be such a big deal to him, since neither of them had ever been with anyone else, but- it _does_. Ted wants Bill in every way.

Ted, like always, goes to stand with the crowd when the runners return that afternoon, helping to unload the trucks and checking to make sure everyone is safe and sound, but this time, Mira winks at him as she passes him the tub from a larger bag full of medicines and first aid supplies. Ted flushes red but can’t help the wide grin that spreads across his face, and when Mira laughs and slaps him on the shoulder, he laughs with her, delighted and so excited to show Bill.

It’s convenient, actually, that Mira finds the lube on the same day that they find something that distracts the camp from what Ted asked her to pick up for him- _chickens_. The whole camp is excited about the prospect of eggs, but more so at what this represents- new life, and another step towards self-preservation. Bill, Ted is surprised, is taken with the chickens immediately, petting over their feathers as they cluck at him, and Ted is so enamored with his friend’s happiness that he forgets to tell Bill about the lube until later.

By the time Ted thinks of the tub in his pocket, Bill is busy with a repair job on the fence for the rest of the day, so Ted just has to vibrate and be excited by himself, weeding his garden and tending some new sprouts he has starting on their porch before going to help with dinner, the jar of lube placed on the nightstand.

Once dinner rolls around, Bill is exhausted- a tree had fallen on the fence because of high winds, so the day had been spent cutting it down and repairing the damage, everyone on high alert due to being outside the safe boundary of the camp. He rests his head on Ted’s shoulder at dinner between eating, and actually nods off at one point, head jerking up as he drifts. Ted just wraps his arm around Bill’s shoulders and tries to eat one handed, jiggling Bill every once in a while so he finishes his food.

When they get back to the cabin, Bill doesn’t even notice the jar, flopping face first onto the bed after toeing his sneakers off. Ted has to wrestle him out of his clothes after hoisting him up to pee and brush his teeth, and by the time Ted’s cuddled up next to him, Bill’s already dead to the world, snoring softly. Ted just kisses his shoulder and blows out the candle, curling up beside him, and thinks, _I love you_.

The next morning, Ted lays in bed until Bill starts to shift behind him, enjoying just drifting in their warm bed, and he feels that pleased, happy feeling when Bill presses a kiss to his neck.

“‘Morning,” Ted says softly, and Bill grumbles, pressing his face against Ted’s naked back. Ted giggles as Bill’s hand pets over his tummy, and drags his hand up Bill’s forearm.

Bill eventually goes up on his elbow to squeeze Ted tight, pressing kisses to his shoulder as he wakes up, and Ted feels the moment Bill sees the jar on the nightstand, pausing in his actions.

“Dude, is that-?” Bill asks, voice so rough from sleep, and Ted nods happily. When he turns to look, Bill has a sweet, surprised look on his face, like he can’t believe his eyes.

“I asked Mira to look for some, on the supply run,” Ted explains, and Bill blinks down at him. “She teased me most heinously, but it’s worth it, I think.”

“A most excellent idea, dude,” Bill replies, and then grins wide and squeezes Ted tight. Ted giggles, squirming in Bill’s arms to get closer. “You really wanna, so bad?”

“Yeah,” Ted says, trying to look at Bill, but he’s pushed his face into Ted’s jaw as they cling to each other. “I wanna make love to you- I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Me too,” Bill groans, petting his hand down Ted’s tummy. “I wanna right now.”

Ted giggles at the ticklish feeling of Bill’s fingers, and then sighs and tilts his head as Bill starts to press wet, lingering kisses to his neck. “We can’t, dude. Breakfast, and then we have to help Marian fix her porch step, remember? And then I need to start looking for a good place to clear, for the new plot to plant stuff.”

Bill huffs and keeps kissing Ted, but he knows that Bill’s heard him by the way his hand stays at Ted’s hip and doesn’t stray. They lay there for a little while longer, the sunlight warm on the worn carpet, their guitars leaning against the wall, clothes on the floor and comics on the couch, and Ted feels that warm, happy feeling diffuse through him.

The rest of the week is the most blissful torture, coming back every night and waking up every morning to see the lube on the nightstand, but not having the time or energy to make use of it. They trade handjobs in the dark, panting into each other’s mouths before falling to sleep, but when Bill reaches around to squeeze Ted’s ass and rub against him with a dry fingertip, Ted wishes things were different, if only that they had light and time and energy to make love that very instant.

Sunday finally rolls around, grey and a little cold but still _Sunday_ , a day that the two of them can lay in bed and just be with one another. Ted dozes like he always does, glad to have a day to just sleep in, and when Bill starts to wake, he gladly presses back against him with a happy sigh.

“Sunday,” Bill grumbles, and Ted giggles, because he knows exactly what Bill is trying to say with that single word. Bill laughs, and the two of them lay in bed, giddy with the prospect of the day.

Bill leans up on his elbow as Ted turns onto his back, and they meet for a kiss, a bit stale from sleep but still lovely with promise. Ted makes a little noise in the back of his throat and loops his arms around Bill’s shoulders, wanting him closer, and Bill hooks his leg over Ted’s hip, thigh pressing against where Ted’s cock is just starting to perk up.

“Want you,” Bill mumbles, kissing over Ted’s cheek to lick over the love bite he left the other night, red and obvious under Ted’s ear. When he sucks at the tender skin, Ted moans softly, dragging his hand heavily down Bill’s back.

“Yeah,” Ted replies, trying to wiggle as close as possible, feeling Bill’s cock against his hip. Bill makes a hot noise, biting Ted’s ear, and moves back up to kiss him.

Then, a knock at the door.

Both of them jump, startled, not used to _anyone_ coming to visit them, let alone this early or on their day off. They both look at each other for a second before Bill groans and drops his forehead to Ted’s shoulder, and Ted feels a hysterical giggle rise from his throat, shaking with laughter as Bill swats at his side.

“Ted?” Kelly’s voice is small from the other side of the door, and she knocks again. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah, Kelly,” Ted calls, and presses a kiss to Bill’s cheek before wiggling out of his embrace. Bill clings to him jokingly for a second, and they both laugh. “Let me get dressed, one sec!”

When he opens the door with a yawn, Kelly is standing there, eager look on her face. He has no idea what she’s doing there, but it’s still nice to see her looking so excited.

“What’s up, little dude?” Ted asks, and Kelly rolls her eyes, crossing her arms. Ted hears Bill laugh softly from inside the cabin.

“Ted, you said you’d start to teach me guitar today!” She says, sounding exasperated in a way only an eleven year old can. Ted furrows his brow in thought for a second, brain still slow from sleep and the prospect of sex, before he remembers. He _did_ tell Kelly he’d start to teach her guitar this Sunday- he just didn’t expect her to come over so _early_.

“Oh yeah, I did!” Ted agrees with a nod. Might as well now, since she was already here. He looks over his shoulder at Bill, who raises an eyebrow at him, but there’s no frustration in his expression- Ted knows Bill would have done the same, too.

They end up settling on the porch, Ted grabbing their acoustic out of the van and then his own guitar from inside the cabin, and begins with teaching her chords and notes. Her hands are small on the fretboard, hard for her to reach certain things, but she never gets frustrated- in that moment, he sees her dad in her, calm in the face of trouble and always looking for a solution.

Bill joins them after a while, sitting next to Ted once he’s gotten dressed, but eventually meanders over to the big cabin in search of a snack when his stomach grumbles. Ted expects him to come back once he finds something, but surprisingly, the sound of the breakfast bell comes first. He’s about to congratulate Kelly on a good first lesson, the smile already spreading across his face, when the single ring of the bell is followed by another. And then a third.

It feels as if his blood freezes for a second, blinking in wide eyed surprise, before Kelly turns to him with a nervous look. “Ted, that means something’s wrong, right?”

“Yeah, but it’ll be okay,” Ted reassures her, and takes their guitars in hand by the necks, toeing open the door to lay them on the bed. She sticks close to him without needing prompting, and when his hands are free, clutches at his fingers. Her hand is so small in his when he finally holds it. “We’ll stick together, okay? I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

“I want my dad,” Kelly says, voice wobbling, and Ted nods, squeezing her hand.

“Let's go find him, okay?” Ted asks softly, and when she nods, they begin to walk towards the main cabin and the entrance of the compound.

Mira’s not on her porch like she usually is every Sunday morning, and as they get closer to the main area, they run into more and more people looking around warily and asking each other questions. Ted just shrugs when people look to him to ask what’s wrong, and he wishes he could find Bill, and hopes that he’s safe.

They’re by the main cabin, within sight of the front gate, when Ted stops walking to watch what’s going on. Ted can see Rufus talking to someone through it, backed by four or five of the more able-bodied members of the community, Mira included, and more people milling around on nearby porches or by the firepit where breakfast is being cooked. Kelly makes to run towards her dad, but Ted keeps a hold on her hand, crouching down.

“Kelly, we don’t know why the bell was rung yet,” Ted says softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want you to go over there, your dad would want you to stay back here, where it’s safe.”

Kelly’s face twists up like she’s trying not to cry, but she nods and takes a deep breath, and surprisingly, throws her arms around Ted in a hug. “Can I stay with you?”

“Of course, little dude,” Ted says, patting her back.

Ted hears someone call his name, softly but clear enough that Ted catches it, and sees Bill waving at him from the door of the cabin, a look on his face that Ted hasn’t seen since they were at the military complex, worried and almost frantic. Ted urges Kelly to take his hand again and jogs over, surprised when Bill tugs the two of them inside quickly.

“What’s up, Bill?” Ted asks softly, and Bill swallows heavily.

“It’s the military dudes, Ted,” Bill says, eyes wide, and Ted feels his stomach sink like a stone. “They’re looking for you.”

“No way,” Ted replies, voice hoarse, and Bill nods. “What do we do?”

“Rufus told me to ring the bell, but pretended three rings was to signal it was time for breakfast,” Bill explains. “And he told me to find Kelly, because she’d be playing hide and seek in here. I think he wants us to hide, dude.”

“Kelly, do you know what your dad means?” Ted asks her, and she looks up at him with big, scared eyes. “It’s okay if you don’t.”

“Once when I was little, we played hide and seek here and dad couldn’t find me,” Kelly explains. “Maybe that’s what he means?”

“Where did you hide?” Ted asks.

“In the loft, on the other side of the bed,” Kelly says, pointing upstairs. “There’s a little hole where the bed touches the wall, and if you crawl in you can hide under the bed.”

“Let’s go, dude,” Bill says, and the three of them climb up the circular staircase to the loft. 

“I’ll keep watch, okay?” Kelly says, and Ted makes a noise in protest. “I can’t fit in there with you guys. I’ll just read on the bed, like I didn’t know what was going on.”

“It’s okay, dude, I’ll be out here with her,” Bill says, and Ted shakes his head, brow drawing in as his tummy flips anxiously.

“We both gotta hide, dude,” Ted says, taking Bill’s hand and squeezing. “If they know my face, they know yours too.”

“Oh yeah,” Bill says, face twisting as he thinks. “Okay, let’s try to both squeeze in.”

Ted goes down onto his belly first, wiggling into the small, dusty nook between the bed and the angled roof. Kelly was right, it’s dark as pitch in here, the blankets from the bed pressed right up against the boards. Ted fits, and is even able to wiggle under the bed a little, the way the storage underneath is closer to the other side of the bed making a little pocket for him to slide into. Once he’s in, he calls for Bill to follow, but first he hears Bill talk to Kelly.

“If you’re going to be hurt, just tell them where we are, okay?” Bill says softly, and Ted hears Kelly make protesting noise. “Kelly, you gotta trust me. Pinky promise?”

There’s silence for a moment, and finally Bill gets down onto his belly to wiggle in next to Ted, grunting as he maneuvers in the small amount of room left for him. Surprisingly, they both fit, even though it’s a tight squeeze, and Ted presses his arm to Bill’s as he feels the bed shift as Kelly climbs on, tangling their fingers together.

“Are you okay?” She whispers, sounding scared but determined. Ted feels a rush of affection for her, and the way she’s being so grown up in the face of trouble.

“Yeah, little dude,” Ted whispers back. “We’re just cuddling.”

“Gross,” Kelly says, a little of her playfulness creeping back into her voice, and Ted giggles as Bill squeezes his hand, feeling his huff of breath ghost across the space between their faces.

They lay in silence for who knows how long, the time stretching and shrinking with nothing to do but wait, and as badly as Ted wants to move he stays still, pressing his fingertips to Bill’s and playing with his hand like he used to. Bill lets him, uncurling their fingers to press back, and Ted focuses on his breath and the warmth of his body next to his, the wood floor under his cheek.

The door to the cabin opens with a loud bang, like someone opened it who doesn’t know it normally sticks, and Ted feels the bed shift as Kelly jumps. He wants to say something when he feels her get up and pad over to the balcony, but he just squeezes Bill’s hand tight.

“Who’s that?” A voice he doesn’t know asks.

“My daughter,” Rufus’ calm voice answers. “This is my home that I’m allowing you to look around.”

“Anyone up there with you?” The voice asks again, and this time Kelly responds.

“No.” Her voice is steady and a bit annoyed sounding, and Ted can practically picture her sticking her tongue out. “I was reading my comic before you made me jump. The door sticks, you know.”

“Honey,” Rufus says in a warning tone. 

“It’s fine,” A different voice says. It’s a woman’s soft and unremarkable, but Ted squeezes Bill’s hand tight, recognizing it immediately. It’s the doctor babe who did the tests. Bill shifts next to him, minutely, and breathes out across the space between them, unable to speak. “If you don’t mind, we’d like to just take a look upstairs.”

There’s silence, but after a moment there are footsteps, boots clanging on the metal steps on the spiral staircase. Ted holds his breath, trying to stay as still as possible, and feels as if his heart is about to beat out of his chest.

The footsteps reach the top of steps and stop on the wooden boards of the loft, and Ted practically jumps out of his skin when the bed shifts, Kelly climbing back onto it with a grumble and the sound of the comic pages flipping open. Then, the steps retreat back down to the main cabin.

“Nothing,” A man’s voice says, and then the door opens again. Ted tries to control his breathing, harsh panting breaths, but it takes Bill purposefully squeezing his hand in time with his inhales and exhales to get him to focus. Ted breathes with him until the panic subsides, and by then the voices have left the cabin.

Kelly shifts on the bed, and after a moment, whispers, “They’re gone.”

“Wait until they’ve left the camp, and then get your dad,” Bill whispers back.

It’s a specific kind of torture to be caught in the tight space, unable to move, but with Bill pressed against him, Ted zones out and drifts, thinking about the songs he can teach Kelly, about the seeds he wants to get to plant in his garden, the way the wall might need to be moved out to clear a larger space for growing grain. He thinks about Bill, pressed up against him, and how this whole compound is working towards keeping him safe.

Finally, the door downstairs opens again, albeit softer. Ted tenses up, feeling Bill’s breath go tight next to him, and there are footsteps on the winding stair up to the loft.

“Daddy!” Kelly cries, and the bed shifts as she leaps from it. Ted hears Rufus make an _oof_ sound, as if she had barreled into him. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” He says, and there’s a pause, like he’s just holding her close. “Are you alright?”

“I’m scared,” Kelly says in a tiny voice, and Rufus makes a comforting noise. “Are the people gone?”

“Yeah, they couldn’t find what they were looking for,” Rufus says. “Did you help Bill and Ted hide? They can come out now.”

“Thank God, dude,” Bill grumbles, and slides out from the tight space, wiggling as he pushes himself backwards. “My arm’s numb.”

“You boys okay?” Rufus asks once Bill is out, helping Ted wiggle out by tugging on his ankles. Ted giggles at the absurdity, but is so glad to not be stuck in the claustrophobic space anymore.

“Yeah, Kelly was _most_ helpful,” Ted says, sneezing from the dust before going down on a knee to put a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for being an excellent look out, little dude.”

“Were they really looking for you?” Kelly asks, and Ted looks to Rufus, who nods. “Why?”

“Remember when I told your dad about getting bitten?” Ted says, and Kelly nods. “No one else who gets bitten… lives, usually. So they wanna try to find out why I only got sick.”

“But why wouldn’t you do that?”

“Because,” Ted’s voice gets caught in his throat, and he has to clear it before continuing to speak. “Because they wouldn’t let me stay with Bill, or my friends. And- they don’t seem like very nice people. We didn’t know if we could trust them, like we do with you and your dad.”

“I wouldn't have done it either, if I couldn't see my dad,” Kelly says succinctly, nodding, and Ted smiles at her.

“C’mon, breakfast should be ready soon,” Rufus says, and Ted can’t help it, he catches the older man in a hug before they go back downstairs, squeezing tightly.

“Thanks, Rufus,” he says softly. Rufus hugs him back, patting his shoulder.

“Of course, amigos,” Rufus replies, and laughs when Bill hugs him too.

“Where’s my hug?” Kelly demands. “I was the look-out!”

“C’mere then, little dude!” Ted crows, and catches her as she runs at him, squeezing her tight.

\---

The main group who had been at the gate tells the tale over breakfast, everyone listening in rapt attention as they eat their food, Bill and Ted included. The trucks arrived early and had declared they were military vehicles and demanded that they be allowed to search the camp for fugitives. Rufus, of course, hadn’t allowed that- not only are the “rules” all messed up in this new world, but if the country hadn’t gone to shit due to the wave of infected, they would still need a warrant. The camp was Rufus’s private property.

After realizing Rufus wasn’t just some hippie pushover (Mira’s words, met with laughter around the table), the female doctor who seemed to be in charge took over, explaining that the men they were looking for stole medical supplies and other things necessary for their hospital compound, and that they were only looking to get the supplies back. 

Bill makes an annoyed noise, opening his mouth to protest, but Rufus quells him with an extended palm. He takes over from Mira, explaining that because Ted had told him how they had to escape from the military complex and the _true_ reason why, they were able to ask Bill to sound the alarm and make sure everyone knew there was something suspicious happening. The way the fence was laid out, Rufus was able to walk over to where Bill had been trying to get a snack from the main cabin and quickly instruct him without any of their unwanted visitors seeing him.

After they checked the main cabin, they went around the rest of the camp, obviously unable to find Bill and Ted anywhere. Thankfully, the two of them had left their cabin unlocked, so there were no strange questions about the missing occupants, and by then, Rufus had started to get annoyed.

The military and the doctor babe had admitted defeat by then, realizing they had overstayed their welcome, and had left. Ted breathes out a sigh of relief at the end of the story, and squeezes Bill’s hand.

Rufus, and the others, agree that maybe Bill and Ted should lay low for a couple of days, just in case the people return or try to send scouts to spy over the perimeter, if they had suspected anything. The idea makes Ted’s gut churn with anxiety, but he agrees, not wanting to put anyone in more danger. He says this out loud, and is surprised to be met with the group telling him not to worry, brushing him off kindly and saying that it was no problem, that they know he would have done the same. 

To be accepted so wholly and kindly by the group after such a stressful ordeal brings the hot sting of tears to Ted’s eyes; Bill takes his hand and presses his cheek to Ted’s shoulder, supporting him with the solid lean of his body. 

They head back to their cabin after breakfast, hurrying quickly through the camp, and once inside Ted sits heavily on the bed after moving the guitars. This morning seems like ages ago, hot with the promise of waking slowly and making love with Bill, and as he winds down, he finds it difficult to slip back into that mindset, as much as he would love to make the most of their free time. Bill sits next to him, and when Ted leans into him and curls down to push his face into Bill’s neck, Bill wraps his arms around him tightly.

“Okay?” Bill asks softly, and Ted nods, looping his arms around Bill’s waist. 

“Feel kind of tired,” Ted says softly, sighing. “I wanna just… do something, to get my mind off of things. But we can’t.”

“Want me to read? Ed gave me this book he really liked,” Bill suggests, and Ted nods, pressing a kiss to Bill’s jaw.

They spend the afternoon reading, Bill’s voice soft and raspy in Ted’s ear, arm wrapped around Ted’s shoulders. Ted turns the pages so that they don’t have to untangle, but once or twice, Bill reaches over with the arm wrapped around Ted, jostling and squeezing him close just to make him giggle.

Mira brings them dinner, checking on them, and ruffles Ted’s hair when he asks if everything is okay.

“No sign of the bastards,” Mira replies, sitting on the front step with them to eat. It’s nice to have company, and also nice to not be forced into the group setting again after feeling so raw. “You know none of us hold it against you, right?”

Ted just shrugs, ducking his head to look at his bowl, but Mira knocks her knuckles against his leg.

“Hey, listen to me,” Mira says seriously, and waits until Ted looks up at her. “Rufus told me what’s up. It sounds like they were going to experiment on you, and it didn’t matter to them if you were alive or dead at the end of it. Our lives are all we have left, no matter how short or long of a time we still have to live them. It’s our choice the way we want to spend that time, no one else’s.”

“Yeah,” Bill agrees softly, and Ted nods, thinking of how desperately he wants to stay with Bill- more than anything else in the world.

After dinner, Mira waves goodbye with a grin and a little salute, and the two of them lay back down in bed, cuddling close. Ted doesn’t really want to do anything but lay here with Bill, holding him, and when Bill strokes over Ted’s cheek to tuck his hair behind his ear, Ted can’t help but lean in and kiss him.

They kiss for a while, achingly slow, tender kisses that leave Ted feeling flayed open and cared for; in the way Bill strokes down his neck with light fingertips, or the touch of his tongue on Ted’s bottom lip, or the clutch of his hand at Ted’s back where his arm is wrapped around him, caught under his neck.

Ted presses closer, squeezing at Bill’s waist with the arm wrapped around his middle, and feels the way Bill takes in a sudden breath through his nose, mouths catching with wet noises. Ted makes a breathy noise in the back of his throat, hooking his thigh over Bill’s hip, and Bill slides his hand down from Ted’s neck to his back, tugging him so that they’re tight against each other.

“Want you,” Ted moans softly when their lips part, nosing at Bill’s cheek, and Bill groans, kissing down over Ted’s cheek to his jaw, clutching at him.

“Yeah?” Bill asks, voice hot in Ted’s ear, and when Ted nods he bites gently at his earlobe, hips twitching forward against Ted’s. “What do you want?”

“Want you to make love to me,” Ted says breathlessly, pressing his hips against Bill’s, cock starting to get interested, loving the way Bill’s body feels against his. “I want it, Bill, please.”

“Yeah,” Bill murmurs, pulling his head up from Ted’s neck to kiss him again, desperate and so hot as he pushes his tongue against Ted’s.

They make out for a little longer, mouths moving and hips rolling against each other’s, until they start to sweat, hard where they’re pressed together, hands roaming as they clutch at one another. Ted moans when Bill slides his hand down to squeeze his butt, tugging his hips close as he presses against Ted hard, and they roll so Ted’s on his back, Bill pushing his hips down in little thrusts. 

“ _Bill_ ,” Ted moans, sliding his hands down to squeeze at Bill’s butt and hip, and Bill moans, watching Ted’s face with a hot gaze, eyes hooded and mouth open as he pants.

“Wanna see you,” Bill groans, and they start to yank at their clothing, giggling as they both get tangled. Bill flops onto his back again so that they can both tug their pants and briefs off, and then Ted’s rolling over into Bill’s arms again, naked and so turned on, wanting to be touched.

“Want your fingers,” Ted says between kisses, sliding his cock against Bill’s and his hip, loving the feeling of their hot skin pressed together, and Bill nods even as he tugs Ted closer, pushing his hips forward over and over.

“Let me-” Bill grunts, and pushes Ted over onto his back again so he can go up on his knees, reaching for the jar on the bedside table. Ted lays back and watches the way Bill’s muscles stretch as he grabs for the lube, eyes dragging over his skin as he settles back onto his haunches at Ted’s hip to open it, peeling off the security seal and unscrewing it. He’s so lean, both from less snacks and hard work, lines of his abs and hips hard and visible, combining with the tendons at his groin to all point towards his hard cock, resting red and hot at the crease of his hip, so tantalizing.

Ted licks his lips, rubbing his thighs together restlessly, and Bill catches the way his cock twitches, looking up at Ted from under his eyelashes. He drags his eyes over Ted’s body, the way he’s reclined back, and raises an eyebrow.

“You looking?” Bill asks with a smirk, voice low, and Ted nods, feeling hot and turned on in that way Bill always makes him feel, desperate to be touched, to feel good, to come. Bill leans over, going down on his forearm as he presses against Ted’s side, and kisses him again, abandoning the lube to cup Ted’s jaw as he licks into his mouth.

“C’mon,” Ted whines after a moment, catching Bill’s hand and dragging it down his body as he spreads his legs, pushing Bill’s hand between them. “Finger me, _c’mon_.”

Bill groans, pressing his forehead to Ted’s shoulder, and pets his fingers over the soft skin of Ted’s inner thighs, cupping his balls and pressing behind them before pushing his fingers over the soft skin to his hole, massaging. Ted moans, hooking his thigh over Bill’s hip, and Bill looks up at his face, fingers still moving.

“God, look at you, dude,” Bill moans, and Ted clutches at his shoulder, panting. “So gorgeous, want me so bad.”

“ _Yeah_ ,” Ted moans back, hips twitching, and sighs when Bill pulls his fingers away to coat them with lube, slicking up two to start and warming them as well as he can. Ted’s breath feels tight with anticipation as Bill reaches back between his legs, but he just tilts his head back and tries to relax, sighing happily as Bill finally rubs against him, and then pushes the first finger in.

The slide is incredible, so excellent in comparison to before when they were only using spit and cum, no awkward drag or uncomfortable feelings, just a smooth, incredible push to the knuckle. Ted moans, hips tilting up as his abs clench, and Bill moans too, cheek hot on Ted’s collar, forearm flexed as he pulls his finger out and then pushes back in.

Bill’s cock is so hard against Ted’s hip, bodies pressed tight together, and Ted can’t help himself, he rolls his hips down, planting his heel on the bed for better leverage. Bill presses a wet, open mouthed kiss to his skin before looking up at Ted’s face, and Ted bites his lip as he looks back, eyebrows drawn in and up as he whines at the next push and pull.

“Can I do two?” Bill asks, breathless, and when Ted nods eagerly Bill groans, grinding his cock against Ted’s hip as he pushes his fingertips against Ted’s hole, rubbing and massaging over him before pressing back in. He watches Ted’s face as he pushes, and Ted can’t help the moan that rips out of him, squeezing his eyes shut at the stretch, and Bill moans too at the way Ted’s body opens up for him, the way his hips twitch and thighs spread. “ _God_ , Ted, look at you.”

“Feels good,” Ted moans, panting, and rolls his hips again, clutching at Bill. “Want you.”

“You got me, dude,” Bill murmurs, pressing kiss after kiss to Ted’s chest. “Slow down, let me take care of you. Wanna make you feel good.”

“Okay,” Ted sighs, trying to relax, and whines as Bill pulls his fingers out and pushes them in gently, feeling the stretch and the slide, so much and so good. Ted just tries to breathe, focusing on the way Bill’s body feels against his, the way his cock is so hot against his him, the push and pull of his fingers, the wet heat of his mouth as he pants against Ted’s skin, but when Bill spreads his fingers slightly to try to stretch him, he brushes up against something that makes Ted tense all the way up, a high, breathless noise escaping him.

“What?” Bill asks dumbly, blinking up at Ted, but Ted just shifts his hips, trying to get Bill to touch him like that again.

“It was good, dude, try to-” Ted pants, and Bill wiggles his fingers again, curling them, and then the bright spot of pleasure is an intense wash that leaves Ted moaning desperately, clutching tight at Bill’s shoulders. “ _Uhn, Bill_.”

“Yeah?” Bill asks, curling his fingers over and over until Ted’s practically sobbing, thighs shaking and cock drooling precum on his tense belly, curling up and squeezing his eyes shut. 

“ _Yes_ ,” Ted cries, cock twitching, and then Bill pulls his fingers away, going back to rubbing at his rim. He’s panting, they both are, and Ted feels tingly and raw in the absence of that sort of pleasure, on the edge of too much but so intense, unlike anything he’s ever felt. “Wha-?”

“I dunno,” Bill replies, so pink in the face once Ted finally opens his eyes, looking a little overwhelmed himself in the face of Ted’s reaction. “Was it good?”

“Yeah,” Ted says, nodding, shifting against the sheets. “Like you could make me come, just doing that.”

“Really?” Bill asks, pulling his fingers out gently to spread more lube on them, including a third finger this time. “Next time, maybe.”

“Yeah,” Ted agrees, sighing happily as Bill rubs over him again, feeling wet and open and loose. “Want you inside me.”

Bill groans, biting gently at Ted’s skin, and carefully pushes three fingers in. Ted takes in a sharp breath at the burning stretch, trying to focus on staying relaxed, but Bill pushes in slowly enough that he has time to adjust, slowly thrusting his fingers in short pushes until he’s mostly in. Ted squeezes around him, just to see what it feels like, and Bill makes a small, desperate noise.

“God, you’re so tight, dude,” Bill breathes, panting. “I’m gonna come as soon as I’m in you.”

Ted moans, clutching at Bill’s shoulders. “Want that, dude, want you to come in me.”

Bill’s cock twitches against Ted’s hip and he moans high in the back of his throat, fingertips curling just enough to make Ted twitch all over with that pleasure again. It’s a lot, the feeling of the stretch around Bill’s fingers, the curling, bright pleasure of whatever is inside him that Bill keeps touching, the heat of his body pressed tight to his side, holding him close. 

“I think I’m okay,” Ted breathes after a minute, hips rolling down to meet Bill’s fingers as he moves them, and Bill nods, pressing a last wet kiss to Ted’s chest as he gently tugs his fingers out. He reaches over the side of the bed to grab his t-shirt to wipe them on, and goes to lift Ted’s thigh to crawl between his legs. “You wanna, face to face?”

“Yeah,” Bill nods, settling between Ted’s legs, cock red and weeping at the vee of his hips. “I wanna see your face.”

Ted nods, spreading his legs around Bill’s hips, and Bill hooks his hand under Ted’s knee to push his leg out and up, eyes dragging down Ted’s body to look at his hole. He feels extra open and wet with Bill’s eyes on him, and he twitches and clenches down when Bill rubs a thumb over him, the way he dips inside just a little making him moan. 

“C’mon, make love to me, dude,” Ted pants, passing Bill the lube, and Bill slicks himself up with an efficient hand, gripping at the base of his cock and tugging at his balls for a second, brow furrowed and eyes shut as he breathes. Ted knows he’s trying not to come, trying to make it last, so he just rests his knee against Bill’s arm and waits, breathing deep and trying to slow his heart down, just a little.

“‘Kay?” Bill asks, double checking, and when Ted nods he scoots forward, rubbing the head of his cock against the soft skin behind Ted’s sac and then down over his hole, catching. Ted makes a little noise, hips flexing, and Bill leans forward onto his hand as he guides himself with the other on his cock, finally pushing in.

It’s a lot, even with the fingering before, the way Bill finally pushes his cockhead in and then keeps going, the way he’s red and sweaty over Ted, brow furrowed and eyes locked on where he’s steadily disappearing into Ted’s body. Ted bites his lip hard and clutches at Bill’s wrist, and when Bill’s all the way in, it’s all he can do to just breathe, making tiny noises in his throat as he pants. He squeezes, just to feel it, and Bill moans like it’s ripped out of him, head falling forward and hips twitching, just slightly.

“Okay?” Bill asks, panting, and Ted nods, heels sliding on the sheets. It doesn’t hurt, but it feels almost strange, the weird fullness not something he’s used to- his cock flags a bit as he gets used to it, and Bill notices, taking him in hand. “Does it not feel good?”

“Feels weird,” Ted pants, but he whines as Bill starts to play with his cock, rubbing at the head with his thumb. “It felt good when you moved your fingers, so it might- _nh_ , yknow-”

“Yeah,” Bill says, and goes down onto his forearm over Ted, making him curl slightly, thighs wrapping around Bill’s waist. “Can I try?”

Ted nods, and Bill pulls his hips back before slowly pushing in. Ted gasps, eyelashes fluttering as his hands fly to Bill’s shoulder and bicep, and then Bill does it again, and again, the tide of pleasure rising with each movement. Ted bites his lip again, head tilting back against the pillow, and when he squeezes around Bill again he snaps his hips a little harder. Ted moans, the sound feeling like it’s jolted out of him, and then Bill starts to thrust, grunting with each push of his hips.

He was right, it _does_ feel better once Bill’s moving, the knowledge that it’s his cock inside Ted making waves of heat wash through him, his own cock perking back up as he moans. Bill lets go of him, falling to his other forearm, and rests his forehead against Ted’s chest as he snaps his hips over and over, little moans working their way out of his throat now that he’s finally moving. Ted rubs his hands over Bill’s back, clutching at him, and tries to curl his hips up more, hooking his ankles at Bill’s lower back to pull him closer.

“ _Bill_ ,” Ted moans, not knowing what he’s trying to say, but Bill looks up at him, pink all across his cheeks to his ears and all down his chest, looking so turned on and hot. 

“What?” Bill asks softly, pressing a kiss to Ted’s nipple, slowing down so he’s just grinding. Ted chokes on a moan, squeezing his thighs tight around Bill’s waist. “Is it okay?”

“I want- I-” Ted stumbles over his words, pleasure making him feel stupid and hazy, but Bill just keeps kissing over his chest, hips flexing as he grinds shallowly, until Ted finds the words. “Want you on top of me, like- I dunno-”

“I can’t, like this,” Bill says, knowing what Ted wants without him even having to explain. “The angle won’t work.” 

“Maybe- _ah_ , on my front?” Ted pants, and Bill’s hips twitch in response, both of them moaning.

“Yeah,” Bill responds, pulling his hips back, and Ted gasps when he slips free, feeling even more open now, but the ache to be filled again is new and makes him shiver, feeling hot with arousal.

They wiggle around each other, Ted pulling his legs up so he can unloop them from around Bill’s waist and turn over, and giggles when Bill puts his hands on his hips to tug him into place, looking over his shoulder to see Bill grinning at him. Ted grabs a pillow to shove underneath him, sighing out a little noise as he presses his cock down against it, hips flexing.

“God, you’re so hot, dude,” Bill says, leaning over Ted to press a kiss to his shoulder. “Good?”

“Yeah, c’mon,” Ted replies. He parts his legs so Bill can settle between them, and when he tilts his hips up Bill groans, squeezing Ted’s ass in his palms and spreading him. Ted flushes, feeling that heat rush through him again as Bill rubs his fingers over him, and looks over his shoulder to catch Bill looking at where he’s open and wet, hand moving to hold his cock. “Bill?”

Bill looks up at him, squeezing Ted’s butt in response as he grins bashfully. “Sorry, couldn’t help it.”

“Want you,” Ted says softly, rolling his hips, and Bill’s gaze turns into something hotter, making Ted shiver and roll his hips again, pushing his cock against the pillow.

Bill scoots into place, holding himself up with a hand by Ted’s hip as his thighs press against Ted’s, and pushes his cock back into Ted, hand at the base keeping him steady. Ted breathes out a moan, tilting his hips up and pushing back against Bill, and when he’s all the way in, the way he blankets himself over Ted’s back is exactly what he wanted but didn’t know how to put into words.

“This better?” Bill breathes, pressing kisses across Ted’s shoulder, and Ted nods, pressing his butt against Bill’s hips with a moan, loving how heavy and solid Bill feels on top of him. Bill resettles onto his elbows, hooking one arm under Ted’s armpit to hold his shoulder, and the other he slides up enough that Ted can hold his hand tightly, fingers lacing near his face.

“C’mon, Bill, fuck me,” Ted moans, and Bill’s hips twitch as he lets out a desperate noise, pulling back before thrusting, skin slapping in a sharp noise as they meet again.

Bill’s able to get a lot deeper from this angle, surprising and unexpected, and after a few thrusts he shifts, knees sliding on the sheets, and his cock nails whatever that spot is inside Ted, making him cry out, squeezing his eyes shut and arching his back.

“Was that it?” Bill asks, panting, holding tight to Ted’s shoulder to keep him in place, and Ted nods, pushing his hips back.

“Keep- _uhn, Bill,_ try to-” Ted pants out, moaning with every one of Bill’s thrusts, clutching tightly at his hand. Bill’s cock brushes against the spot every couple of thrusts, making bright, almost shocking spots of pleasure shake through Ted until he feels like he’s going to come. His cock is rubbing against the pillowcase, not enough friction to get him there but enough to make him feel desperate and strung out, hard and twitching.

“You feel so good,” Bill moans, clutching at Ted tight as he thrusts, hips snapping against Ted’s ass. “You’re so gorgeous, _Ted, nnh_ , wanna make you come.”

“Gonna, _uhn_ ,” Ted moans, reaching back with his free hand to clutch at Bill’s hip, feeling the way his ass his flexing with every thrust, and feels his pleasure pull in as Bill catches that spot inside him over and over, grinding when Ted moans high in the back of his throat. “ _Bill_ -”

“C’mon,” Bill grunts, tugging Ted down onto his dick, and Ted tenses up and comes, erection pressed between his tummy and the pillow, shivering through it as Bill’s cock presses against that spot over and over. He moans shakily, feeling it wash through him in intense waves as his cock twitches, squeezing down around Bill as he just grinds. 

“Want you to come,” Ted pants, tugging on Bill’s ass and squeezing around him, and Bill moans, pressing his face between Ted’s shoulders as he thrusts in short, sharp little snaps of his hips. Bill’s breath goes funny, thrusts going out of rhythm, and then he moans high in the back of his throat, coming hot and wet inside Ted.

He loves feeling the way Bill’s body reacts when he comes, loves being pressed against him when he does, and it’s ten times better to have Bill inside him at the same time, feeling his body shake and shiver through it. Ted breathes, making a soft, sensitive noise as Bill pulls out of him, and giggles as Bill flops beside him with a groan.

“You’re most unrivaled, dude,” Bill breathes, turning onto his side to wrap an arm around Ted’s waist, kissing him on the shoulder. “You make me feel so good.”

“You too,” Ted replies, scooting closer and turning on his side, tugging the pillow out from under him and tossing it towards the wall behind Bill. “ _Most_ resplendent.”

“Did you come on my pillow, dude?” Bill asks, groaning, and Ted laughs, squirming as Bill reaches for him in retaliation. 

“You can share mine- no, _Bill!_ ” Ted cries, laughing and wiggling in Bill’s arms, but their play fighting soon turns to tender touches. Bill kisses him deeply, petting through his hair, and Ted feels held, and loved, and so utterly at peace.

“I wanna watch you come, next time,” Bill says softly, dragging his fingers over Ted’s sweaty skin. Ted nods, leaning in for a sweet, lingering kiss.

“We can try all kinds of positions,” Ted says, and then they’re giggling, giddy with the prospect of the future, and spending it together. “I love you, Bill.”

“I love you too, Ted.” Bill’s expression transforms into that sweet look, gazing at Ted like he’s the only thing that matters in the world, and when he leans in to press another kiss to Ted’s mouth, it’s almost like he can taste it.

\---

The next couple of days are just spent lounging around, writing music and reading, doing their little exercises from their old apartment, feeling restless after weeks of activity. They make love all the time, feeling insatiable, and Ted feels blissful with happiness, knowing that he and Bill are safe and able to do with their time what they wish.

They’re shocked when Mira comes running over one day, breathing heavily, and says, “There’s people at the gate who say they know you.”

“What?” Ted breathes, clutching at Bill’s arm.

“Military dudes?” Bill asks.

“No, that's why we didn’t tell them to beat it,” Mira says, leaning on her knees to catch her breath. “It’s three women. Two blondes and one brunette.”

Bill and Ted look at each other, wild-eyed, and simultaneously say, “Missy and the babes!”

“You know them?” Mira asks, straightening up, and the two of them nod, going to pull on their shoes. 

“Missy was my step-mom, and then Ted’s step-mom,” Bill explains, hopping on one foot as he struggles with his sneaker. “And now she’s just, y’know, Missy.”

“And the babes are from England,” Ted continues. “We were pen-pals in high school, and now we’re just friends.”

“How’d they find us?” Mira asks, the three of them beginning to walk over at a fast pace. Ted feels his tummy twist with excitement.

“I dunno,” Ted says, squeezing Bill’s hand to get out some of the bright energy starting to rush through him.

“They’re smart,” Bill says simply, and shrugs as Mira raises an eyebrow at them. “Maybe they followed the military vans, or something.”

When they finally get in sight of the gate, it’s still closed, so they can’t see who’s on the other side. Rufus stands there, arms crossed, but his face seems more open and relaxed than it did when the military dudes showed up, so Ted feels like that has to be a good sign.

“‘Morning, amigos,” Rufus says. “Would you happen to know these fine ladies?”

The two of them slide up to the gap in the fence, and light up when they see what they had hoped to see on the other side- it _is_ Missy and the babes.

“Oh, Bill!” Missy cries, standing on the other side. “Ted, I’m so happy!”

Liz and Jo pile out of the car as Rufus gets the gate open, and Bill and Ted gather Missy up in a tight hug as soon as they can squeeze through. Ted feels the way her breath catches in her tiny body, hands clutching at the back of his shirt.

“Ted,” Liz sobs, and rushes forward into his arms once he lets Missy go. He feels his eyes burn with tears as she flings her arms around his shoulders and clings to her tightly, squeezing his eyes shut. Jo does the same with Bill, and Ted can hear the way Bill’s breathing’s gone funny, like he’s also trying not to cry.

“We thought we’d never see you again,” Jo whispers when she comes over to hug him next, and Ted just squeezes her tight. 

“Me too,” Ted replies, voice cracking with his emotion, and when he pulls back, he laughs as he wipes the few stray tears on his face, embarrassed and overwhelmed.

“C’mon, lets get everyone inside,” Rufus says kindly, and Bill goes to take the keys from Missy to drive the car in.

The babes tell Bill and Ted about how they were kicked out of the military complex soon after the two of them were discovered to be gone, their meal ticket (Danny’s words) having disappeared, and Ted breathes a sigh of relief when they’re told that they were only questioned, nothing worse. Liz whispers to him that they were terrified, but in the end, they kept quiet, and there was nothing the military could do. Even the safety of the complex was nothing when paired with the oppressive feeling of being in the shadow of that building, and the knowledge of what they would have done to Ted if he had stayed.

Danny had a sneaking suspicion that Missy had helped Bill and Ted escape, but Missy didn’t tell him until they were long gone from the reach of the complex. He seemed to take it reasonably well, especially paired with the news that Missy wasn’t interested in being involved with him anymore, but one day, he went out on a supply run and just… never came back.

“You don’t know what happened to him?” Bill asks softly, and Jo shakes her head, looking both resigned and a little sad.

“We didn’t like him, but we didn’t- I never wanted him to die,” Jo replies, and Bill wraps his arm around her shoulders. 

“We don’t know that for sure, though. He may have found some other people. Who knows,” Liz pipes up, and Ted nods, knocking his head into hers affectionately.

The girls waited for Danny to come back for a whole night and day, and when he didn’t return, they decided to keep moving. It wasn’t safe, to be stuck in one place for so long. That was when Liz had seen one of Bill’s tags on a highway sign.

It turns out that it wasn’t the military, but Bill’s spray-painted W.S. logos that lead the women to the camp. Bill grins, bright and just a bit bashful, when Missy compliments him on his good idea, and Ted kisses him on the cheek. They had no idea that they were following in the footsteps of the military vans, and everyone agrees that it was dumb luck that they didn’t run into each other. Or maybe, as Rufus points out, it was destiny.

“Let’s do something fun, tonight, to celebrate the reuniting of such a special family,” Rufus says, putting his hand on Ted’s shoulder. “I think I have some stale marshmallows, if you boys would bring out the guitars to play something for us.”

Bill and Ted look at each other, grinning, and crow out an _ex_ _cellent!_ as they air-guitar. Rufus does it too, which makes Ted laugh, breathless with happiness.

The whole camp settles around the fire after dinner, with a few people rotating in and out of watch-duty of course, and Bill and Ted sit with their guitars, plucking out a few notes after tuning.

“What should we play, dude?” Ted asks, and Bill’s brow furrows as he thinks, tugging at the curls at the base of his neck. His hair’s gotten so long that it reminds Ted of when they were in high school- it was only six years ago, Ted suddenly thinks, but it feels like forever.

“Why not one of our songs, to start?” Bill suggests finally, and Ted grins and nods, playing the first notes.

It feels nice, to be able to play for the group, to give them some moment of pure happiness in the wake of the last couple of days, the way that they essentially saved Bill and Ted from something most heinous. Ted looks up occasionally, looking around at the faces of all the people he’s come to know, and finds them all warm with kindness and affection as they watch the two of them. 

Sheryl, who’s taught Ted to be kind to the earth and reap what kindness it returns to him, teaching him the secret of speaking to his sprouts so they’ll grow big and strong and feed the camp. Ed, who’s taken Bill under his wing to teach him how to build things, and has most recently been teaching him how to whittle crude figures, one of which is sitting on their dresser, next to the horse statue. Harry, who sends Bill home after a day of working on cars covered in oil and grease and a wide grin. Mira, who always has a kind word for Ted and a little ribbing, both things coming together to make her feel like both a friend and an older sister.

Kelly eats marshmallows next to her dad, listening to Bill and Ted play music and watching Ted’s hands with rapt attention. He can already see the way her mind cogs are turning, studying his hand positions, and knows that she’ll ask him to show her how to play all these songs, and one day, maybe even write a few of her own. Rufus also watches, a little smile playing over his lips, and it reminds Ted to pull out the acoustic so that the three of them can play together sometime. Everything else Rufus has done for them- well, Ted doesn’t even know how to put into words how grateful he is.

They’re met by a round of applause once they’re finished, and Ted feels like his happiness is going to choke him as he ducks his head to hide behind his long hair. Bill nudges into his side, the two of them giggling, and reach for their own marshmallows after setting their guitars back in their cases.

“Oh, dude, look,” Bill whispers as they spear their marshmallows on sticks to roast, gesturing over towards where Missy’s stat down next to Rufus. She’s twirling her hair around her finger as she smiles at him, a look that the two of them know well, having seen it directed at their own dads a number of times. 

“Bogus, dude,” Ted sighs, though it’s well meaning. Rufus is way nicer than Danny, or even Ted’s dad, as much as he’d hate to admit it. 

Liz and Jo sit next to them, kissing them both on the cheek in greeting, and Bill and Ted spend their time roasting and eating their treats telling the babes about the last month, catching them up on everything they’ve missed. Ted tells them about his garden, and their cabin, and Bill tells them about all the things he’d helped to build and the plans they have for the camp. They save talk of sad things for another day, and only speak of the future, and how they’re going to grow and thrive.

They’ve gotten through two of their own marshmallows, trading sticky kisses between giggles, and the sugar is just starting to make Ted’s brain light up when he glances back over to see how Missy’s getting along. Missy’s still next to Rufus, but, surprisingly, has been joined by Mira, and the two are chatting animatedly. Mira reaches up to tuck a lock of Missy’s hair behind her ear, and much to Ted’s surprise, Missy goes pink and bashful, looking at Mira from under her eyelashes.

“Dude,” Ted whispers, nudging Bill, and when Bill sees what he’s looking at, he starts to laugh.

“Dude!” He crows, and the two of them lean into each other, giggling.

“I’m glad we got to play for everyone,” Ted says after a moment, ducking his head to nudge his nose into Bill’s curls. Bill turns to look at him, and when Ted presses a kiss to his mouth, the way Bill kisses back is so sweet and tender it makes Ted’s tummy fill with butterflies.

“Yeah,” Bill agrees softly, and leans back to look at the stars. Even with the fire roaring in front of them they’re still visible, a million pinpricks of light. “But… I always thought we’d save the world with music or something, dude.”

“Don’t you think this is good too, though?” Ted asks, and they look around the fire, at their new family, everyone happy and sleepy, talking and laughing together. “Everyone seems happy.”

“Yeah,” Bill agrees after a moment, leaning his head against Ted’s shoulder. “This is our world now, I guess.”

“That’s okay with me,” Ted replies, so soft, and Bill looks up at him. “As long as we’re together, right, Bill?”

“Yeah,” Bill says again, but this time, it sounds like _I love you_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CWs// Ted feels a bit of panic at a couple of places, but nothing major. Ted suffers from heatstroke, which includes dry heaving but no vomiting. Bill and Ted have to hide in a small place, and it's claustrophobic.
> 
> WOW, here we are! Thank you everyone for coming on this journey with me and reading this special story of mine. I've been writing like crazy for the last month, and while I knew this story would take a bit of time to tell, I didn't know it would end up being my longest story to date! I hope everyone who reads this loves it as much as I do, and that it brings you a little bit of happiness! Big thank you again to Fox, Bee, and Shel for letting me yell at them all the time about it, and putting up with my cryptic messages as the last chapter was being written over the last two weeks. Thank you all for your support! <3


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